Riposte - Kagami of division
by Alinaish
Summary: After the appearence of new potential rival, Marinette Dupain-Cheng can't help feeling worried. It's not like Kagami will ruin everything Marinette has worked on, right? It's not like Adrien Agreste likes Kagami...right? (Warning: contains spoiler of season 2. So read with caution, if you haven't yet caught up to the series.)
1. The beginning

A/N: I am so hyped for the second season of my favourite show!~  
I was so surprised, when Kagami appeared. And also, we ahve to see what will this new Luka character be like! So excited, gah! *^*

Sorry, if this chapter is too short, I haven't written anything in a long time, bur, nevertheless, hope you enjoy!

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"I still think that you are overreacting, Marinette," a girl with glasses said, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder in a comforting way. Her friend only shook her head slightly and sighed. "I mean, Adrien _is_ very friendly he just wanted to make up with the girl. Wouldn't you do the same in his place?"

Marinette thought about it too, of course. As much as she wanted to not care about the presence of Kagami, she couldn't stop constantly thinking and worrying about it, despite Alya's try to give a logical (and probably right) explanation to Adrien's actions. Marinette would always be reminded of a gentle and caring tone of her crush's voice and the soft look he gave the new Japanese girl, as he was talking to her. The way they shook hands, exchanged their goodbyes and everything… She could have sworn, she felt the connection, the chemistry between the two.

"Hey, lighten up, girl."

Her friend's voice prevented her from making new worst case scenarios. Alya was one in a million, the kind of friend who would always support and listen to her, no matter how ridiculous Marinette sounded at times.

"I wish I could, Alya. But jealousy just gets to me all the time." Dupain-Cheng confessed, looking very guilty.

No-no, she mustn't feel this way. Adrien and she aren't even dating, for crying out loud! She just has her feelings, which she should learn to control better. Marinette will raise many suspicions, if she keeps looking this distressed and moody. But can someone really overcome such feelings with ease?

"Maybe this situation will move you forward with your confession. I think it is time for you to start moving on your and Adrien's relationship. Are you really okay with _just_ being **friends**?" Marinette kept silent. Silence is a sign of agreement. Of course not, not after everything that has happened.

"But I heard him saying that 'Marinette's a really good friend'. How is that not a friendzone?" The Miraculous holder stressed, as she whined.

As much as Alya wanted to brush off her concerns and cheer up her friend, deep down she was also worried about the whole ordeal. A new girl, besides Chloe and Lila, that wants to gain Adrien's attention? She hasn't met Kagami yet, nor has she seen the interactions between said girl and Agreste, so she wouldn't know for sure if Marinette's manner of over exaggerating simple things. However seeing the defeat in her best girl's eyes was unbearable. Just when things between Dupain-Cheng and Agreste were going smoothly, this fencing girl had to appear and distract Adrien. Although, Adrien was acting too buddy-buddy with Marinette, which was anew-

"I am sorry for wasting your time, Alya," now it was Marinette's turn to break her best friend's chain of thoughts. "I can't thank you enough for dealing with my constant tantrums." She smiled, as the author of Ladyblog pulled her in a hug.

"You know I am always here, girl. But, you know, it comes with a price. I still want to get these macaroons you promised me the other day." A girl concluded before both of the girls started laughing.

"Alright, alright, I am on it!"

After the kind-hearted conversation Marinette smiled at Alya, before both of them said their goodbyes and went home. Though her friend was right, Marinette still had her worries. She could feel that things will be different. But it's not like Kagami and Adrien would see each other again, right..?


	2. Troublesome news

A/N: Thank you for supporting this fic so far! I hope you like this part!

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"Say, Tikki," Marinette began, as she was lying on her bed, holding a lucky charm bracelet. "Do you think Adrien and I are friends?"

The small red creature snuggled under the girl's neck: "Isn't it a well known fact? You've been friends ever since he cleared up the misunderstanding with chewing gum and Chloe."

Marinette sighed, her eyes focused on a bracelet she held in her hands. The one Adrien gave her on her 14th birthday few days ago. It warmed her heart to think about the fact, that Adrien made it himself. Which meant that he thought about the girl behind Ladybug's mask. Her crush also kept the lucky bracelet she gave him that time, when Max was akumatized. Wait, does that mean, _she_ and _Adrien_ now had **_matching bracelets_**?! That was certainly a happy thought within the…not so happy ones. And what about their slow dance at Chloe's party? They were so close, Marinette was afraid her heart would jump out of her chest. The way her classmate looked at her and embraced her, even after seeing Alya and Nino interfere. It's like he didn't mind at all and he was genuinely happy to dance with his shy friend. All these wonderful things made her days much brighter. But that Kagami girl had to appea-

"Marinette, if you keep this dark aura about yourself, you will be akumatized in no time!" Tikki scolded the teenager and pleaded her to snap out of it.

"But don't you think it's strange? Never has paid that much attention to me, so I was sure he liked me a bit more than just a friend." Marinette replied to her defense and gained a sympathetic look from her kwami, who seemed to soften.

"I am sorry, but I don't want to say anything about it, since I am not sure about it myself." The creature's cute high-pitched voice echoed. "But for now you have to distract yourself from this topic. It will be for your own good." Tikki concluded, looking up at the miraculous' holder. Yes, Marinette agreed with her little friend without a second thought. Nothing was decided yet. She has to stay calm.

After thanking Tikki for the advice, Marinette went to sleep with a slight hope for tomorrow. She was still Adrien's good friend and classmate. No one but them could change that.

* * *

"I am so glad to see you back to normal, girl." Alya mused as she and Marinette took their seats in the classroom.

"I just decided to take your advice and play it cool. Nothing has happened yet." The brunette replied, taking her books out of the backpack. She glanced forward and saw that Adrien and Nino haven't arrived yet. That was strange, since there were only a few minutes left until the start of the class. Then again, it wasn't her business.

 _"_ _Yes, that's right. He is sometimes late to class."_ Marinette still thought.

As if she was heard, the door opened, revealing Nino and Adrien, as they merrily chatted about something interesting.

"I am so glad, that she was accepted after all. Today's our first practice." The blond boy said, seating down. He was smiling widely.

"Then you better be ready, dude. If she is as great at fencing as you are, you might have a rival for the championship." Nino added, winking at his friend. Adrien cleared his throat a bit too loud:

"I-in any case, I would still be happy for her." He concluded, ending the conversation, before both of them turned behind to greet Marinette and Alya, who were watching the dialog unfold with wide-eyes. There was no doubt in Alya's mind now. Marinette wasn't over reacting at all! Panicking, Marinette butchered her 'Good morning, Adrien', but the reason for that was much different than usual, it almost felt ironic. The future fashion designer just stood there, zoned out with a horrified expression on her face, her mind going blank.

"Good morning, Marin- huh? Alya, is Marinette okay?" The blond boy asked the tan girl, who just waved it off in a desperate try to hint Agreste something among the lines of 'please don't pay attention to my mess-of-a-friend here and resume back to talking to Nino, while I take this girl as far from you as possible, because she _probably_ doesn't want to see you right now'. Alya looked at Nino, her eyes almost screaming for help, but the DJ just scratched his head, not really understanding her.

However, our precious Adrien was really clueless to hints like such and kept on pestering about Marinette. Was she really okay? She looked so out of it. They are good friends, right? That's what he thought, because lately the girl with pigtails has started to open up to him. The awkwardness was there, of course, but at least she stopped stuttering and was more confident. Maybe he was coming on too strong and ended up scaring her? Yes, that was certainly it! Oh no, was he really that clingy when it came to friendships and such? Was the Birthday gift too much? He wondered, but to no success.

"Hey, how about I take you to the nurse's office, Marinette? You don't look too well." Adrien offered his hand to the girl beside him. Alya facepalmed, Nino wasn't sure what in the world was going on, the whole class stared. Even Chloe was unusually quiet, as she watched the scene with interest. Every fail, containing Dupain-Cheng was a victory to her after all.

 _"_ _Adrien, please don't push it. I will be fine, just be silent..."_ The only thought crossed the baker's daughter's mind, as she couldn't move and witnessed everything in a slow motion. She wondered why he made such a big deal of it. Though, it didn't really matter, did it? What would _Kagami_ think?

 _"_ _Of course she doesn't look well! Ugh, Adrien, how can you be so clueless?! If you don't stop this instant, I swear…"_ The female blogger thought, getting ready to take Marinette's hand and run with her. That poor girl, she won't be able to focus at all. Not with this new piece of information!

Trying to help, the green-eyed boy extended his hand to Marinette, who, in reply, made a very inhumane shriek.

"Marinette, come on-

"No!" The girl pushed his hand aside. "Stop it, Adrien! Stop acting like you care!" Marinette shouted, covering her face. Why did he even bother to comfort her? Couldn't he just sit down quietly and let her calm down on her own. She would have taken it easy, but the amount of attention she was getting from both her crush and her classmates put great pressure on her.

A series of gasping was heard from the whole classroom, as everyone witnessed the scene, with their mouths agape. What has Adrien done for Marinette to snap at him like that?

"Just leave me alone!" After that, the brunette stormed out of the classroom with a high speed.

"Dude, are you alright?" Nino carefully asked, looking at his friend's hand that was slapped away by Dupain-Cheng. What's gotten into her?

Adrien couldn't believe the words she said to him. How was he at fault? Was he paying too much attention to his classmate, that it started to annoy her? Was he that clingy? He wanted to know more about it. He felt the sudden urge to run after. Would she think he's a creep, if he did it?

Teenagers didn't have much time for talking about it, since Ms. Mendeleiev walked into the classroom, being strict as ever. Well, after the incident with Markov, students knew it would be best to keep their mouths shut. That is only for this lesson only, of course.


	3. The outcome

A/N: I am so happy that you like my fanfiction so far! Please enjoy this chapter. ^^

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Marinette ran as quick as her legs could carry her. The pounding headache made things much worse, as she was nearly collapsing to the ground. Thanks to her trustful kwami, she was able to regain most of her consciousness by the time she got home and entered the bakery. Tikki kept a close watch on a possible akuma. Dupain-Cheng couldn't believe it: how could she have been so reckless? Marinette is Ladybug, who knows what could happen if she was possessed by the evil powers of Hawkmoth. She has sworn to keep her emotions intact and not fall into a depressed state in order to **not** become a potential victim of akuma. Thankfully nothing was chasing her. Could the holder of a miraculous even get akumatized?

As far as she knew, Chat Noir had been a 'marionette' of the akuma affected villain many times before. However he wasn't exactly akumatized by the moth. Marinette glanced at her spotted kwami in anticipation, but the little creature seemed troubled.

"As much as I am relieved, something seems very strange…" She said, putting her tiny paw on her chin, as if in deep-deep thought. But as soon as she noticed the questioned look her holder gave her, Tikki smiled slightly.

"Don't worry about it, Marinette. You must rest."

Marinette nodded, petting the kwami's head. At least she escaped that suffocating pressure. She could finally breathe.

Hiding Tikki in her bag, Marinette entered the bakery and was immediately surrounded by Tom and Sabine.

"Marinette, honey, are you feeling unwell?!"

"We were so worried! You ought to have Alya or a classmate walk you home."

Someone from her class must have called her parents. How sweet of them. Maybe she wasn't totally wrong blasting off like that? It was definately Alya, since nobody else had her home-line number.

Marinette blinked in confusion, as she felt her mother's cold hand on her forehead, her dad carefully helping the exhausted girl stand.

"Sorry for scaring you, but I am doing a lot better…" said their daughter, shaking slightly. Her vision began to blur. Okay, maybe she wasn't feeling that well…

"You have a fever," Sabine sighed, taking her hand away. "Go lay down, I'll bring you something warm."

Nodding and saying a quick 'thanks', Marinette slowly walked upstairs to her room. Today was sure a very hectic day. And it hsan't even ended yet.

As the girl lied down, her kwami snuggled closer to her.

What even happened at school? Why was she dramatizing so much? Marinette started to recall harsh words she'd said to Adrien, as well as that look in his eyes she has never seen before. As if he was beginning to crash, holding his breath. Well, she **did** surprise _him_ with that fit, not to mention she had outdone herself. Marinette silently hoped they were still…well, friends. But she meant every word she said. How worried and annoyed she was, without even saying why. And that's when realization struck her, like a lightning. Did Adrien even know why she was upset? She clearly didn't state the reason, did she?

 _"_ _No! Stop it, Adrien! Stop acting like you care! Just leave me alone!"_

"Ah, Tikki, I am such a fool! How could he even understand what caused my yelling, if I just started the drama scene in a chemistry class out of the blue? He probably thinks I am weird or paranoid, or something." The brunette buried her head into the fluffy pillow in frustration and embarrassment.

"You shouldn't focus on what _he_ thought. Instead, you have to make up your mind and listen carefully to your heart." The wise ladybug kwami replied with a small pat on Marinette's head.

"Well, it's not like I don't like him or anything after that," Dupain-Cheng threw a careful glance at one of Adrien's photos. "My 'tantrum' is the result of my jealousy and assumptions I made about Kagami. For all I know, I love Adrien. He also has flaws and that is to be expected."

Tikki giggled. "You are getting wiser every day. That just means you love Adrien Agreste for who he really is, for the kind of person he is."

And yes, that was true. It wasn't a love at first sight. After learning that the young model was Chloe's friend (probably only friend at that), she couldn't help but feel hostile towards him. Especially after the chewing gum incident. She figured he was really mean to her, just because Miss Bourgeois told him so. Oh, how wrong was she! So looks mattered, but the way the blond boy explained and cleared up the misunderstanding, that curious, gentle and comforting look in his eyes, his kindness he showed her – that what was important, that was what made her love for Adrien develop and grow. Marinette wanted to know more than that. She wanted to be by his side, forever.

"Marinette, I brought some tea." Sabine lightly knocked, before entering her daughter's room with a tray. The girl saw a teapot, a cup, a glass of water, some medication and a plate with freshly baked croissants and cookies. "Papa just got them out of the oven." Her mother smiled, gesturing to the pastries.

"Thank you a lot, Mom. These look delicious!" Marinette smiled. She was so lucky to have such nice and understanding parents.

"Bon Appétit!" The woman returned her smile, before closing the door, leaving the Paris' superhero and her companion alone.

She felt so much better already after thinking and talking to her parents and Tikki.

"What would I have done without you, Tikki?" Dupain-Cheng smiled, offering a cookie to her kwami. That earned a delightful giggle from the ancient creature.

Suddenly, she heard her phone ring. Alya has sent her a voice message. With a shaking finger, Marinette pressed the screen.

"Hey, Marinette! How are you feeling, girl? I wish I could just hug you right now, you scared me! That's the first time I've ever seen you so out of it! I decided to send a voice mail, since you might be sleeping right now."

The girl and her kwami smiled. Alya was too great to be real.

 _"_ _You are probably wondering what happened after you left. Well…we were all shocked to be witnesses of such unbelievable situation. Adrien seemed upset as well. Nino and I kept Chloe from him all this time, since she wouldn't keep her mouth shut. After you ran off, everyone was very sympathetic for you because you aren't the 'Drama Queen' type of girl and everyone thought you had a good reason for snapping at our model-boy like that."_

Her best friend heard an angry grunt.

 _"_ _I still can't believe Adrien, though! I feel kind of sorry for suspecting you of over reacting. I am totally on your side, girl. Oh, and don't worry, I haven't told anyone the reason of your sudden outburst."_

Marinette sighed with great relief. Knowing her friend, Alya could tell Nino. But it was a good thing she didn't.

 _"_ _In any case, we will figure something out. You just have to rest for Agreste. Get some Ag_ _ **rest**_ _e, huh?"_ Marinette winced at the bad pun Alya was trying to make. How silly!

 _"_ _Call me if you need someone to talk to. Bye!"_ And with that, the message ended. After writing a quick reply, Marinette seemed to almost completely relax. Things haven't changed drastically. It was in her own hands to fix everything.

"But I must talk to Adrien." The fashion designer whispered, before slowly falling asleep. She did feel drained, both physically and emotionally. It seemed funny how she dealt with beating evil guys daily and not needing an additional nap during the day, while, on the other hand, she felt so tired after a small argument and some running. Small argument, that what it was right? Even though, it felt like she was arguing with hersef all that time.

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Marinette was awakened by the sudden knock on her window.


	4. The evening visit

A/N: I feel very connected to Marinette's inner feelings of "Notice me senpai". Sorry for the ' - ' lines in between. I posted this chapter from the phone app.

Startled by the sudden knock, Marinette quickly stood up, almost tripping over her backpack. It was laying on the floor, since she just threw it after she came back from school. She turned on the light in her room, as it was already evening. For how long has she been sleeping? Marinette blinked a couple of times and yawned.

The girl hesitated before opening her window. She had an idea who that uninvited guest could be. But she didn't want to see him right now, if anything. What if she would somehow mess things up with her guest?

"I guess he did have a reason to come here. Or at least I hope so." Marinette thought, before slowly opening the window. A wave of fresh air blew gently on her face as she sighed. She took a step back and in a matter of seconds the super hero of Paris was standing right beside her.

"Good evening, _Purincess_." The boy in mask smirked, bowing slightly. At least good ol' Chat Noir was acting the same as usual, she thought to herself. If only she knew...

"What brought you here, Kitty?" Marinette simply questioned in a welcoming tone. He had made his way to see her. Dupain-Cheng figured she must show some hospitality. She had a strange feeling of unease or maybe she thought she did, because she had just woken up.

Chat Noir looked at the girl, taking her in. Messy bed hair, sleepy eyes. Did he choose the wrong time to visit her? He was very surprised by the fact, that Marinette wasn't akumatized after all that.

Adrien wanted to clear things out and used Chat Noir to 'test the waters'. He kept worrying about Marinette after she snapped at him out of nowhere. After thinking long and hard about the possible reason of her sudden emotional outburst, he couldn't find one. At all. He had an assumption, that his friend was upset about her mistake, that lead to a misunderstanding with Kagami. But she wouldn't stress too much about such a minor problem, despite how sensitive Marinette was. He was planning on telling her that things cleared up and Kagami was accepted into the fencing team right after he told Nino.

Other possible reason, was the fact that Marinette overheard his conversation with Nino about Kagami being successufuly accepted. And maybe Marinette was disappointed about it, since she really wanted to make it into the team. But if that was the case, she had never fenced before the tryouts, right? She still wouldn't be that devastated, since the girl was the only witness to his battle with Tsurugi. He did support Marinette, but Kagami was a lot better at fencing, since that hard work on training and talent ran in her family. Reason? There isn't. At least he gave up on figuring that out.

However her words were troubling: 'Stop acting like you care'? Well he does care, they are good friends after all! Taking her to nursery was the least Agreste could do, besides talking to her. And why was Alya glaring holes at him the entire time? Did he do something to upset both of them? Or was she just sticking up to her friend. Nino had no idea as well, neither, as it seemed, did others. So it had to do something with Marinette and Alya only.

Adrien did want to get to the bottom of this and solve the mystery. Purrhaps a certain cat could help?

"I ran into Adrien today, " Chat Noir started, as he looked to the side. "He was pretty upset and worried about something. He mumbled your name, so I guessed it had something to do with you. What has happened today?" The boy asked, locking eyes with her. Adrien felt guilty. He cowardly met her as Chat first, to know some basic information and facts of his classmate's strange behavior. Then at school he would talk to her again, operating with the facts he had gathered. He could be scared to face her straight on as Adrien.

Chat could only hope that Marinette believed his made up excuse. Now a superhero of Paris is involved in some teenage drama? The model knew it was not the best idea, but he couldn't think of any better ones.

Marinette gestured to take a seat next to her, however Chat kneeled beside her the bed the girl was sitting on. He needed to see her face. A person's face expression can reveal a lot of unsaid words.

"I feel so stupid..." The brunette quietly said, feeling so ashamed. Chat Noir didn't need to know about her fail. He doesn't have anything to do with the situation either. Talking to him about was embarrassing and not needed. Was he a close friend of Adrien's? And even now she talks about how and what she feels, not asking about the poor Adrien. What was he doing at the moment? Was he worrying for nothing because of her one-sided feelings?

"I just...I couldn't help it, Chat." Marinette gulped, feeling Noir's attentive gaze.

"Maybe I- _he_ wants to know the reason. Did you get into a fight?" He couldn't ask her about Kagami or fencing, since Chat wouldn't know about neither of those things. For now he had to play it cool and not slip up.

"The thing is..." The girl resumed, after a pause. "It's not quite his fault. It's mostly mine, but I just want him to pay attention to.."

 _"To my feelings. I want him to know."_ The connection was made. She didn't know when, but she was certain now. Adrien doesn't know about her feelings. He is too dense to notice. Her shyness, awkwardness, constant stuttering and panicking - he didn't really get why she was acting like that, did he? Of course he would be confused and frustrated.

"Pay attention to...?" Chat Noir repeated, almost certain he would get the reason.

"P-pay attention to me..?" She whispered, covering her mouth. No, she mustn't tell, not when she is face to face with Chat. If Adrien was his friend, Noir could tell him. That would complicate things more.

"To you?" Adrien was more confused. What did she mean? He was paying more attention to her over the past days. Didn't she think it was creepy or too clingy of him to keep pestering her and constantly remind her of his presence?

"I-I know it sounds wrong, but I just want him to know me more. I want to spend more time and get to know him better as well," Marinette added with a ghost of a smile on her lips. It was the best way she could frase it. "I don't know for sure if he is just being polite or if he genuinely means it."

Ah, so that's what she meant by 'Stop acting like you care' bit? But what about 'Leave me alone'?

"I said a lot of bad things to him, because I was so caught up in the heated moment. Am I being selfish?" The girl asked, looking up at her partner. Why did he look so worried? Chat was uncharacteristicly quiet.

For some reason, it reminded him of Ladybug. He sometimes wondered, if he was being selfish too. He wanted Ladybug to notice him and consider ad a potential love interest. There was no way Marinette's intentions were same as his, right? That was ridiculous.

But things were slowly clearing up. He got everything he could out of her as Chat Noir. It was time to leave.

"No, you aren't. I am sure you are dear to Adrien. He cherishes his friends dearly." Chat said, placing a hand on her shoulder in a comforting way.

Little did he know,he pointed out her problems exactly. Then again, it was her fault for not making a move or attempting to be more than friends.

"I guess you and Adrien are similar." She suddenly said.

"What?" The black cat's eyes widened. No, she didn't just-

"You seem to understand Adiren's actions. Both of you must be very similar." She said, questioning the tention she felt between them.

The boy nervously laughed,scratching the back of his neck. That was close! His curiosity almost killed a cat!

Marinette smiled at the boy in costume. She felt better after talking to him. That seemed as practice, before talking to Adrien. Chat's interest in the situation is off-putting in the least, but she was glad he was there. The way he patiently listened to her and gave his opinions proved that he was a great listener and had a great heart.

"Thank you, Chat." Marinette beamed, as he quickly looked at her. "I am glad you stopped by."

Seeing her smile sincerely was the best thing he had seen today. He was glad to have a look at it, and regretted stopping by less and less by every passing second. He saw that calm and warm smile of hers for the first time. The way it made her face and eyes glow, left Chat with a warm feeling in his stomach. It felt good.

"Princess, if you keep giving me smiles like that one, I would certsinly develop a bad habit of visiting you every evening just to see it." He winked at her, being flirty as ever. But was it just a mere flirt though?

Taken slightly aback, the girl blushed. Now she recognized this sly Chatton. Although she was thankful he went back to normal. Seeing him so serious was very unlike him.

"Then I will ignore your knocking on my window, until you go home." She talked back, giggling. "Are you sure you are not a psychotherapist?" With skills as his, he could be.

"My, was that a cheesy pick-up line?" The boy smirked, feeling entertained. That side of hers was very much appreciated.

"What can I say? With the way you talk, I might as well be fluent at this." Dupain-Cheng responded. That was amusing and very fun.

"As much as I hate leaving you, the cat's have to go home." Chat Noir said, as he saw his classmate yawn a couple of times. It was late. They both had to go to school tomorrow.

"Alright, Chat. It was nice to talk to you. _Surprisingly._ " She wanted to add, but didn't.

Chat, however, crossed his arms as he clicked his tongue.

"Is that how a princess thanks her knight?" Adrien was having too much time with this. He wanted to see her flustered again and then leave. But he wasn't prepared for what happened next.

"Oh? When Ladybug finds out about this, it would be a **cat** astrophe, huh, Chat?" Marinette whispered, planting a quick kiss on Chat Noir's forehead.

He blushed, looking at the floor beside him. Did she really do that? He never knew Marinette had a side like this. Was it bad he kind of liked it? Wait, liked what? Her flirting, the pun or a kiss? Was she going to tell Ladybug? Was it a joke?

"I, um, maybe..." He shook his head. "Wow, Princess, you are sly. " He winked, trying his best to stay in character.There was no way a thing like this could ruin his act. "Good night!" Chat waved, ready to escape her room, as he was too embarrassed.

"Good night!" She smiled, waving back. Marinette felt proud. The silly cat had the taste of his own medicine. She saw the superhero jump out to the nearby building, before he disappeared into the night.


	5. Even Plagg knows

A/N: Ugh, I hope this chapter is not boring. I have a cold, so sorry, if some things were unclear. I really enjoy updating the fic, thank you for your support! I'll try my best to keep updating daily!~ On a side not, when I read or write fanfictions, I usually have Christina Vee's voice in my head for Marinette, but Benjamin Bollen's voice(the French dub) for Adrien. I am curious to know about your choice of voices :)

* * *

"Plagg, claws in!"

The little cat kwami flew out of the miraculous, shaking his head as he looked at the distressed boy. Adrien sat down on the couch, grasping his head. He led out a frustrated grunt. He wasn't expecting that result at all!

"Well, well, well, are we regretting our choices now?" The green-eyed creature mused, helping himself to some camembert. Oh, what an enchanting smell it had! Why wouldn't humans appreciate food more than some kind of sappy love?

"I feel even more confused, Plagg!" Adrien replied, pinching his nose. How can a small piece of cheese be so smelly? That was pretty amusing, actually.

"Figures, the girl caught you off guard." Plagg has never been the one to talk soft. He preferred telling what was on his mind without sugar-coating it. Plus, it was his own way to talking to his holder. The blond boy will thank him later.

"I was planning on clearing up the mess. Now I am left with more questions than answers." Adrien sighed. How would he and Marinette talk to each other? Would they still be friends? She did mention the fact that she _wanted_ to spend time with him. She _wanted_ to know him better. Not Chat Noir, but Adrien Agreste. It felt endearing. Marinette was interested in his personality. It could make their friendship even stronger.

"Plagg, Marinette and I are good friends, right?" Agreste suddenly blurted out.

"Does secretly paying visits at night, having deep conversations, blushing and let alone giving kisses seem like a thing friends would typically do?" The ancient creature deadpanned, not looking away from the pieces of cheese he was consuming at the moment.

"That's a yes then?" The boy innocently asked. Friends do hug and give kisses on cheeks and such, right? Of course he was flustered! It all happened so unexpectedly. 'Paying night visits?' Chat Noir visited her, not Adrien in his civilian form, so it was fine. Or so he wanted to think, at least.

"You have to find out on your own, kid. I am done." Plagg couldn't believe how dense that boy was! Was he playing dumb on purpose?

Sure, Plagg knew all of the struggles Adrien was facing. He knew he loved Ladybug for sure, not even questioning. But he knew nothing about Ladybug. She is smart, kind, caring, fun to be around with and all these other wonderful things he heard the teenager say. However that was all Adrien knew about her. On missions neither of the heroes talked about their life outside their crime-fighting identities. There was no time for chit-chatting or sharing their background, they had to do their job. And after the fight, they had to return back to their ordinary life. That's it. The biggest reason to why all miraculous holders were strictly forbidden to reveal each other were these annoying, stupid human emotions, so far Plagg thought. Emotions and feelings of love, lust didn't matter at all in the fight with Hawkmoth, they would even distract and make things complicated between the superheroes. Master Fu hadn't really given any information on that, so the kwamis thought of the theory above themselves. They were pretty sure it was the issue.

So while Ladybug is a good superhero and companion, Agreste still didn't and couldn't know more about her. She didn't like to stick around him, because she simply and other things to do, hence why she was always in a rush.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng, on the other hand, has always been in the plain sight. She was nice to him and liked him maybe a little too much. She means well and Plagg thought the two could work out together. He discreetly thought about these things, despite his uninterested façade he was always putting on. Of course, he would never admit it to Adrien or Tikki. The kwami also had an idea in his mind. Maybe Adrien was subconsciously neglecting the bakery girl's feelings because he didn't want to even think of falling for her? He was idealizing Ladybug and fueling his feelings for her to such degree that he **didn't want** to notice Marinette. What for, if Ladybug is true love?

This would explain Adrien's density. The boy isn't stupid he is very intelligent and witty for his age. Plus while reading all that shoujo and shounen manga(mostly shounen, surprisingly), he could quickly put the two and two together. Heck, he even _shouted_ at his computer screen while watching his favorite show about how the two main characters should realize their feelings and become a thing sooner.

Well, perhaps his inexperience with relationships was caused by being homeschooled all that time. Chloe was his first and only friend before Agreste started attending Collège Françoise Dupont. The cheese-loving kwami felt bad for him. _"Adrien needs to get out more and stop watching anime for his own good."_ Plagg thought. It didn't make any progress on the boy's social life and Adrien was just messing his sleep schedule really badly by watching all these new ongoing shows' episodes as soon as they aired.

"Kids and their love." Plagg concluded out loud, taking a look at Adrien's confused face.

"Love? I wasn't talking about l-

"Whatever. I am tired," the cat kwami muttered. "Oh, and using your powers for such simplistic things is so thoughtless of you. Chat Noir didn't need to be a part of this." Alas, it's not like the miraculous' holders listened to him.

"I know, I know," the young model sighed. Marinette must have felt put on the spot once again by Chat visiting her. Again, he was scared of appearing at her place as Adrien, without testing things first. He did have an advantage of using his powers, but it wasn't for bad causes. The memory of Marinette planting a kiss on his forehead reappeared in his head. He would have a lot trouble, trying to stop thinking about it. Did she like Chat or something? No, that couldn't possibly be true. She was just playing along his silly game.

"In any case, you better go to sleep. It's late and you have another fencing practice after school." Plagg said, before going to sleep himself.

Oh, right, fencing! With all that drama, he had completely forgotten about it. His first training with Kagami went great. He really enjoyed her company and practicing with her was a big honor. It was a shame he was late to his practice, she was waiting for him all that time. If it hasn't been the akuma attack, he was pretty sure that Kagami was Ladybug. They both seemed to have that aura about them: confidence, power of will and the eagerness to help surrounding people. Putting these things aside he liked spending time with her and he wanted to get to know her more. Which is why he eagerly accepted her invitation to hang out after practice tomorrow. What could possibly go wrong?


	6. A simple apology

A/N: Sorry for the delay, slightly busy with school projects and such! I'll eventually come up with a schedule of updating.

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"Glad to see you all well, girl." Alya rushed to her best friend as soon as she lazily walked into the classroom. The creator of Ladyblog was naturally worried about Marinette. Knowing her, Dupain-Cheng must have spent all the rest of the yesterday mopping all about things and ranting to her occasionally, but, surprisingly, Alya didn't get any calls. She naturally wondered what had Marinette been up to.

 _"_ _Oh dear, I hope she had been sleeping all that time."_ That is because any other explanation wouldn't come to mind. Too much stress is really bad for health.

"Honestly, I feel a lot better." Marinette smiled. Chat's late visit really cheered her up and helped her get motivation to face Adrien. Guilt was ever present, of course, however, that is until Adrien accepts her apology. That shouldn't be a problem. She can get passed over her stuttering and blushing, because her sincere apology was much more important. She had mustered the courage to face the boy after her embarrassing fit thanks to the hero of Paris in the black mask. Marinette even admitted numerous of times yesterday – she really owed Noir one. Though, she can't help but still wonder whether her crime-fighting partner talked to Agreste after he paid his visit.

 _"_ _If he did, things might get slightly complicated."_ The brunette was surprised, how she could keep her mouth shut and tell only important information, without rambling on about how perfect her crush is. Her feelings were still the same, right?

Although Alya glanced at Marinette with a raised eyebrow, she was happy that things were starting to get better. Maybe this situation could help Marinette proceed to the next step in pursuing Adrien. After all, frustration and confusion mean moving forward and progress in relationship, even if it was just on Marinette's part.

"You will talk to Adrien today, okay?" It sounded more like a solid statement, than a question. Alya knew that Adrien wasn't at fault here. His reaction was understandable. But logic, Marinette and Adrien in one room didn't really coexist. Not for the time being, at least. Yes, the girl with glasses did glare at Agreste when the whole situation was taking place. She, just like her friend, was too caught up in the situation and emotions took over her, as Alya felt like she needed to be here for Marinette. Alya really felt her friend's heart breaking, as she watched the scene unfold. What they both did was very rude, and Alya hoped to apologize to the boy as well. But Marinette must go first.

"Of course, I really need to talk to him. No, I **have** to!" Dupain-Chen exclaimed, maybe a bit too loud. She couldn't wait any longer, feeling things getting worse and worse by any second. She felt if she didn't tell him what was on her mind these past days, she would explode.

Unfortunately, Adrien Agreste didn't come to the college that day. Maybe he had received a new deal and needed to urgently be ready for a photo shoot? He was a famous model, after all.

Classes went smoothly none of Marinette's classmate asked her anything and acted like nothing happened. At least she didn't hear any rumors or whispers about her. That was relieving in some way. Not that she cared about it. Adrien was the only thing the girl could think about. She was worried. Her impatience and the unstoppable urge to clear everything out with her crush didn't help per say.

"Hey Nino," Alya Césaire ran up to Agreste's best friend, Marinette following her as quickly as she could. That boy was their only source of information about a certain blond teenager.

"Alya, what's up?" The DJ waved, smiling. He looked at Marinette slightly surprised, but quickly regained himself and gave her a welcoming smile. "Hello, Marinette."

After the conversation girls didn't get any info and in addition to that, made Nino worry about Adrien as well.

"Oh, let's try calling him, duh!" Lahiffe concluded, as Alya facepalmed. Of course! It's the XXI century, they all had phones. And why didn't they think about it earlier? As expected from Nino though, he was good at making fast decisions.

"Calling who?" They heard a voice behind them, as a shiver ran down Marinette's spine instantly.

"Adrien! Bro, where were you?" The boy with glasses gave his friend a quick hug, as Marinette sighed with a slight relief. Of course he is alright. Thank heavens.

"I forgot to charge my phone, so I overslept and my alarm didn't go off. Sorry." Agreste scratched the back of his neck, looking to the side.

No, the young model had woken up just in time. Slightly earlier even. He was afraid to face the girl with pigtails, who caused a scene the other day. Strangely enough, he shouldn't worry about it at all. Adrien concluded that Marinette was at fault after all, ignoring slight doubts he had. But the idea of possibly hurting his friend's feelings made him feel guilty in a way. Thoughts as such consumed his mind they were pacing back and forth, not coming to an end.

"In any case, there's someone who really wants to talk to you right now. Can you please spare her some time?" Alya's voice brought him back from his zone-out. Well, at least she is not ignoring him unlike the previous day. One small problem has already solved itself.

The blogger pulled Marinette closer to Adrien, before discreetly running off with Nino. She needed to share some pieces of information and shed a small light on her friend's sudden emotional outburst.

So, Marinette and Adrien were left alone in the empty corridor of the building, as classes ended an hour ago. The chance was great. They could have a talk without any interruptions.

Dupain-Cheng glanced at the boy in front of her. With each passing second her determination was dissolving and turning into nerves. His gentle features, clean skin almost glowing in the rays of the sun. The way light reflected in his emerald green eyes and the expression he was giving her, the expression of pure concern and…guilt? Ah, so he was worrying about it! Marinette felt even more horrible. Because of her green jealousy and uncontrollable crush, Adrien's innocent heart was aching.

The words didn't seem to form, as the heart was racing it's pace. Feelings, please, not now! Right now, the words of apology are important, not the love she felt for Agreste. How could she even dare to question it?

"U-um, Adrien, I-"

"It's okay," Agreste sighed, not letting her finish the long awaited answer. "I understand. I am too clingy, right?" Ugh, no! Wait, that wasn't what he meant to say! Why did he make it sound about him? It's not about him it's about the girl in front of him. What was she feeling now? Adrien could have sworn he saw tears forming in her shining bluebell eyes. Were they always that welcoming?

"No! Listen to me, please," Marinette said, extending her arms, as she violently shook her head. That's it, no more going back. She had been waiting all this time to clear up the misunderstanding. Adrien came to the college, so luck was on her side.

"You don't have to apologize to make me feel better. I said it is fine, Marinette." His mouth didn't seem to obey his brain. Seeing his friend on the verge of tears and the way her lips trembled with every word she said – all this was wrong. He had never seen her this upset and guilty. Though he had no idea why that was, he figured out one thing: Adrien didn't want to see her like this.

Marinette's patience was running out. Why can't he just listen? It was hard standing in front of him, face-to-face, without getting distracted. Making eye-contact was even harder. If only he stood quietly and let her finish that apology. It had to be done, she was certain.

The girl felt the sudden rush of Ladybug's confidence. Well, Adrien Agreste is not listening to her? Then she had to get him in the corner. Almost literally.

Taking a closer step towards the green-eyed boy, Dupain-Cheng extended her right hand and with a loud smack pressed it agaist the wall behind Adrien. A simple way of approaching someone, known as 'kabedon'.

"I wanted to say that I am sorry," the designer raised her head to look Adrien dead in the eye. "The way I acted the other day was very rude. I just… I was worried for the fencing match and because of me you and Kagami started things out with wrong foot and…"

 _"_ _She still doesn't deserve you."_

"And I said a lot of things in the heat of the moment, so I am very sorry for misleading you and hurting you. You did nothing wrong, Adrien." Marinette was unstoppable, as she was pouring out her frustration. It felt better to let it out, but not in the chaotic screaming-crying way. Being cornered like this, her prey can't escape. She had finally said it all and the world around her seemed to brighten, as she felt the genuine victory. However, that wasn't the only reason why she felt so proud of herself.

Adrien's eyes widened as soon as his classmate 'pinned' him to the wall. A kabedon?! Wait, but in mangas he read only a guy did that, not a girl! What has gotten into his friend? And why did this eagerness really suit her? Instantly, he felt his knees getting weaker, as she initiated an intense eye-contact. And what about her apology? He felt relieved, yet it wasn't that big of a deal. Then what was _really_ bothering her?

Now her confidence dissolved into the air, as the young fashion designer registered the embarrassing pose they were both in.

"I! A-ah, sorry!" Breaking a truly intimate moment of silent eye-gazing, the brunette scooted away from the guy of her dreams. Just what was that all about, she thought. Well, she had _tried_ to scoot away.

Her surprise couldn't even be measured, when she felt a warm hand of Adrien's on hers. The Ladybug kwami holder immediately turned red from head to toe, as she looked up, only to Agreste's face a few centimeters away. Marinette could have sworn she caught a glimpse of red on the boy's cheeks. A sight she had never thought she'd see. Everything felt so surreal and magical. It felt as though time has completely stopped.

Adrie, on another hand, couldn't move. The look his frined was giving him had a magnetic effect to it. One simply couldn't run away. He didn't want to run away. No explanation could be given, no explanation was even needed. Just a little more, just a little longer and the spell would be broken by just a small noise or movement. But for now, standing there, perfectly still was just what Adrien (and Marinette) needed. Who knew their small talk would end up like this. Though, it was great. And being so close felt...natural. A simple apology, nothing more. How could it turn into something...they were't sure what exactly it was. If only-

"Adrien? Where are you?"


	7. Interruption

A/N: Okay, I thought that Adrien's fencing classes were in a different building, but after some research it turns out that the practice takes place at the Collège Françoise Dupont, aka the same building where his attends his everyday classes with Marinette and others. I had to make changes to this chapter, but hope you enjoy! Thank you for your reviews!

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"Nathalie, is Adrien ready for his fencing practice?" A deep voice, which was on the verge of almost losing it's calmness, was heard from the woman's earpiece. The owner of that voice was definitely about to snap.

The Agreste's assistant sighed, as she tried to keep her composure and thoughts together. Her boss had been extra strict these past days and she also noticed the fact that Hawkmoth had stopped sending off akumas for a while. Natalie guessed that Gabriel Agreste was planning something and it wasn't a new line of fashionable clothing. While her boss was always serious and secretive, all this new stress the man was experiencing was not only bad for him it started becoming hectic for Nathalie as well. She had to wake up earlier, check all the schedules and manage time tables, plus she also had to keep track of Adrien (although she noticed that his father put quite a few additional courses to keep his son very busy outside the school). She could only guess it was because Gabriel didn't want his son to get suspicious of his secret, which proved that something was definitely going on. But the female assistant didn't really have a choice, so she didn't even want to ask about it. What Sancoeur had learned during her work is to just keep calm and follow the instructions.

She received a call from the fencing instructor, who said that Adrien hasn't appeared to the lessons yet. Nathalie had to act fast and take care of things by herself, without Adrien's father knowing about that little incident. Alas, he _did_ know that fact, which wasn't exactly pleasing.

"Sir, I am entering the college building as we speak," she answered. "I shall send you a message as soon as Adrien gets to his practice."

Her boss said nothing and declined a call. Hopefully, she wasn't going to get fired today.

The woman was walking down the halls of the empty building. Panic had almost taken over her, when she once again tried calling the boy for the third time this day. As expected, he didn't answer his phone. While Nathalie hasn't shown her care for Adrien, she did worry about him and wanted to do her best with Gabriel's orders concerning his son. She wondered what caused Adrien's absence from his fencing practice.

"Adrien? Where are you?" her voice echoed, as the woman looked around. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Agreste's son with a girl. She recognized her it was the girl who made a derby hat for Adrien's photo shoot and the girl who made scarf for his birthday. Nathalie felt a tinge of guilt, remembering the time, when she lied to Adrien about that light blue scarf.

The position these two were in was surprising. They were both blushing, as the blond boy held onto the brunette's hand. The whole situation and the atmosphere felt intimate. Nathalie acknowledged the fact that she rudely interrupted whatever the teenagers were doing. She was sure his father wouldn't be so happy about it. Actually, no…she wasn't really sure about that. Not that it mattered.

"N-nathalie?" Adrien Agreste nearly jumped, as his pupils shrank. How embarrassing! His father's right hand assistant caught him at such time. He wasn't sure what both of them would have done, if it wasn't for the interruption…Why was it so embarrassing, though? An apology of his friend ended up with him and his friend being extremely close. Oh, that kabedon though! He would remember it for certain.

Marinette, on the other hand, felt like running was the greatest idea, as she couldn't even process what has happened.

"Ah, Adrien! I am sorry, I _l_ etter _b_ eave, I mean, I better leave now, haha! Sorry!" and she tripped over Adrien's leg, causing an even more embarrassing scene. Adrien's cat reflexes helped him catching the girl and carefully putting her on the ground, earning a cute, mumbled 'thank you' in return. She smiled softly at him, bowing and apologizing to Nathalie before storming out of the building, her face burning hot as the sun.

"Well, I am glad you are safe." The assistant broke the awkward silence. She found the look on Adrien's face very amusing, as she tried her best to not crack a smile.

"I am sorry, Nathalie," the boy scratched the back of his neck, as he shyly looked at his feet. "I forgot to charge my phone yesterday, so I lost track of time. Plus I had an important talk with my friend Marinette and…" He felt extremely ashamed, that Nathalie had to see them like that. Which was strange, since Chat Noir has flirted with Marinette before and he wasn't embarrassed or ashamed. It's not like they were doing something inappropriate, right? Just two friends talking and stuff… Wait, could he call their situation a flirt? That wouldn't creep his classmate out, would it?

 _"_ _Ugh, why do I keep running in circles? I have to stop thinking about it."_ Yet the boy still had his doubts. However, he stopped, trying to figure out how to smoothly 'recover' from such a surprising thing.

Nathalie just sighed. Agreste is a teenager, so it's natural for him to start having interest in girls and maintaining relationships. But she still had to accompany him safely to his practice. Though the fact that his phone had no battery explained why her calls didn't reach him. That is, if he wasn't lying.

"I am going to inform your father. Let's hurry, your practice has already started."

"Yes." The young model sighed. If there was one thing he knew about Nathalie, is that she is very responsible. Is she said she will tell, then so be it. He only hoped his father wouldn't ask any questions. Come to think of it, it has been a while since he saw his parent. Was it because of a new line of clothing in-progress?

"I'll think of an excuse," Sancoeur continued, as the two were walking down the stairs. "But it's the last time I do it, okay? You must try your best to attend all the additional courses, Adrien." She couldn't help but pity Adrien. The lack of a simple parental love and a warm family atmosphere really made the teenager more and more miserable. She was glad Gabriel accepted her request to enroll Adrien to a public school. After the New Year's she was certain it was the best decision. At least now the green-eyed boy had good friends and a social life.

 _"_ _Or is that girl really just a friend?"_ It just didn't seem like it. However, it wasn't her business, until it was getting in the way of his studies.

Agreste's eyes brightened up as he smiled widely at Nathalie. Despite that cold façade she was putting up, he believed that woman had a kind heart. He was very thankful.

"Thank you very much!" He said once again, as he entered the dressing room. Adrien hoped his would be able to focus on his training. He felt emotionally exhausted. At least his face stopped burning. Who knew his shy classmate could be so fierce, when needed? She totally caught him off guard pinning to the wall like that!

 _"_ _Maybe a certain cat is going to pay her a visit tonight."_ He thought, but nearly slapped himself after that. What was he thinking? It sounded so wrong. It would be illogical for Chat to visit her. After the kiss on the forehead she gave him last time, who knew what could-

No, stop it, Agreste. Don't let that little interaction get your mind into the wrong specter of thoughts. You are just flustered and tired. Think of your fencing.

He wanted to rush home and get some sleep, as fast as possible. He needed to think clearly and get a few more sweet hours of sleeping. (And maybe reread his favorite shoujo mangas, just to refresh the methods of kabedoning a person).

"Hey, I heard you promised Tsurugi a date," One of the boys said, as Adrien finished putting his fencing uniform on.

Oh, right! He had completely forgotten about that!

"It's not a date. We just want to hang out after the practice." Agreste replied, shrugging. How did this guy know about it anyway?

"Alright, I am just making sure. She is pretty awesome, don't you think?" The boy continued. Adrien didn't see his face, since it was covered by a fencing mask.

"I guess so." He replied, before exiting the dressing room. Maybe fencing could help him clear up his thoughts.


	8. Confused and dozed off

A/N: Have you seen the Gigantitan episode?! Adrienette in season two is just…overflowing. Can't lie, I love it!

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"And…Riposte!" Tsurugi exclaimed with a triumph, as her fencing sword touched Adrien. It was her third win and so far and the blond haired boy hadn't won so far in the span of two hours. Sure, his opponent _was_ pretty skilled and well-trained however, it wasn't only that. After all we all know why he kept getting distracted over and over again throughout the day.

"Hey, are you alright?" Kagami asked, removing her helmet, as she looked at Adrien. "You seem slightly out of it. Your moves aren't as sharp as usual." She was certain that her opponent was strong and very skilled. Despite the fact that she beat him in their first ever match back at the tryouts, the boy did put up quite a great fight, which made the match all the more interesting and exciting.

"Let's take a break, shall we?" Agreste smiled apologetically, as he took a deep breath after removing his own fencing mask.

Kagami nodded in reply: "Of course, the practice is coming to an end anyway."

The duo exited the building after have asked Armand D'Argencourt a permission. The cool fresh air felt amazing. They sat on the nearby bench.

"Are you sure you don't have a fever?" Kagami clicked her tongue.

Without awaiting the boy's answer, Tsurugi told him to stay where he is, while she gets them something to drink in order to refresh.

Oh great, where are your manners, Agreste?

All the efforts were made and yet the bearer of the cat miraculous couldn't focus nor concentrate. Not only his fencing partner was better than him, poor guy had to put up a decent fight, stop getting distracted by his constant flashbacks of today's school day, not mentioning that he had forgotten how to breathe properly a few times. Indeed, that has happened before, but thus was different. His Lady and his Lady _only_ took his breath away with each fight they both had, even a slight interaction with her made his heart jump out of his chest, setting the boy soaring into the sky on the wings of love.

Marinette, on the other hand… Well, that was a first time he got as embarrassed and taken aback. The scene wasn't a typical one where his classmate was left speechless or blabbering all over the place. It was Adrien instead. Okay, he was _on the verge_ of stuttering, but not that much. Yet, his cheeks were burning up the more thought he gave to today's events. Or maybe it had something to do with fencing equipment? Has it always been this hot in the helmet anyway? It had something to do with his quickened heartbeat, sure, blame the piece of clothing. Well someone must stop drinking coffee for a while. High pressure is not a good thing

But was it the hot caffeine beverage though? Of course not! Adrien knew that all too well and yet he kept making these silly excuses, almost as if someone could be reading his thoughts. And that feeling honestly scared him. If only Marinette saw his current condition, how or _what_ would she feel?

"Ah, thank you!" Adrien smiled at Kagami, as she handed him a cold bottle of water, which he hurriedly placed on his forehead in an attempt to cool off slightly.

"I am so glad, that we became friends." Tsurugi shyly said, opening her own bottle of water. She could sense the welcoming atmosphere around the model. She deducted he must be a very social person. If only Kagami knew…

"Same here, Kagami." Teenager chuckled. Even though their first meeting wasn't the greatest, the female fencer and he got along well. She had that soothing atmosphere to her he sensed. Her voice was calm, yet very well heard even when she spoke quietly. The more he studied these little things about her, the more he started noticing that Kagami and Ladybug were alike, yet they weren't one person. How would they, if Kagami was akumatized and Ladybug came to the rescue immediately? But even if she wasn't akumatized, it was pretty clear that Kagami isn't his Lady. He wondered for a moment if he would ever know Ladybug's real identity. Adrien reminded himself, that he needed to ask Alya about any possible scoop she could have found. And that he probably needed to pay attention to what Kagami was currently talking about, or else he would certainly not behave like the gentleman he was. Agreste snapped out of his thoughts almost instantly as soon as he heard his friend mention his classmate's name:

"-Marinette?"

"Huh? What about her?" He questioned, scratching the back of his neck, as he looked sideways.

"I said I would really like to get to know your friend Marinette, remember? She does seem like she's sweet and responsible." Tsurugi simply replied, keeping her eyes fixed on someplace far. She slightly resembled some kind of wise character from a cartoon.

Wow, how was she able to deduct that?

"She is!" Adrien nodded, a smile creeping on his lips. It was a somewhat proud smile.

"Marinette also appears to be good with children," the girl continued in a hushed tone.

"R-Really?" The description was _too_ detailed. Is Kagami a secret fortune teller? In either way, that seems like a true statement. Dupain-Cheng does look like a person who gets along well with kids. Could it be her caring personality? Not that he really knew his classmate that well, it were just the vibes she gave off.

"Yes, look. She is over there, playing with dolls with a little girl." Kagami shifter her gaze back at the confused and lost young model, which made a slight shriek.

Who would have thought! It was so – the girl with pigtails sat in the nearby park with a small girl, who, Agreste recognized, was Nadja Chamack's daughter. Ah, he remembered something about his friend being a babysitter for Nadja's daughter sometimes. Marinette and ( _Mirelle? Manon? Emma?_ _What was the little girl's name again?)_ were peacefully playing with the custom plushy dolls he once saw. They were the once the Puppeteer used a while ago, weren't they? It was amazing how talented Dupain-Cheng was. The derby hat, costumes for school events, that lucky-bringing bracelet, delicious macaroons and now almost a complete collection of dolls. Chat Noir one, an adorable Ladybug one and a few previously akumatized victims. Although it was hard to make out what was going on in the park, a faint echo of laughter could be heard. It could be his ears playing tricks on him, but Adrien could have sworn he heard a cat pun from Marinette, when she picked Chat Noir doll, while the little girl hurriedly scooted next to her with a Ladybug one.

It was a heartwarming scene that could be watched for a long time and never get boring. Adrien's sincere smile shone, as the scene awakened some bright memories from his childhood, which seemed like it was such a long time ago. A time he won't be able to reach. He remembered how he and his mom used to gather in the evenings and play with plushy toys, laughter filling the room. Then Gabriel Agreste walked in the room. After giving his wife a soft and loving kiss on the cheek the man kneeled down and patted little Adrien's head. The next thing they all knew was that the whole family was having fun, an even louder and more cheerful laughter bounsing against the walls of a huge room. He remembered his parents hushed talking and Mrs. Agreste's warm touch on his cheeks while her son was half asleep in Gabriel's arms.

A memory so vibrant and touching slowly faded away, as the blond boy felt Kagami's focused gaze on him.

"Sorry, I dozed off for a moment there." He apologized, a sad smile replacing the one with true sincerity.

The girl blushed slightly as she shook her head.

"Don't apologize. You must be tired after today's practice." She quickly regained herself.

"Yes, that must be it," Adrien agreed, throwing a quick glance at the place where he saw Dupain-Cheng, who wasn't there. He figured she had left the park already. How much time has passed then?

"I need to go now," The short haired girl said as the beep of the car was heard. "See you!" Kagami waved, before heading to the car.

"Have a nice day!" Adrien waved back, standing up from the bench. He stretched before heading back to the school building. After a quick shower, the young model gathered his things and was about to call Gorilla to pick him up. However, he stopped in his tracks after a brief gaze towards the Dupain-Cheng's bakery, with a hidden desire to head there and pay a visit. This time as Adrien Agreste.

"Plagg, what do you think?" A cat kwami lazily peeked his head out of Adrien's bag. Would that stubborn boy even listen to what he had to say?

"Really, kid? Are you _that_ desperate?" It was evident that Plagg did not want anything to do with his holder's affairs. Seriously, how is he supposed to keep his mouth shut and not suggesting that Adrien _may j_ ust have a thing for Marinette.

"I am not! I'd say I am curious, that's all…" Agreste furrowed his brows, eye not leaving the building.

Well, if that's not a proof, the black cat creature didn't know any better.


	9. Surprise-surprise

A/N: Thank you for reviews and support! I would really like it if more people knew and read my story 3 Oh well, I hope that all will appear in the future. Please enjoy!

* * *

 _"_ _Sorry to call you on such a short notice, Marinette. But I have an urgent meeting and I have no one to leave Manon with. Could you please babysit her today? It won't take too long. Thank you!"_

The next thing Marinette knew was the fact she had to, once again, babysit Manon. It wasn't her choice, yet she couldn't say no to Nadja. Dupain-Cheng has always been helping the famous TVi news reporter. So much for being a superhero even without her Ladybug costume on, she guessed. Good deeds are great anyway, right? And wasn't it the act of pure kindness that got her the superpowers of the ancient hero?

Although, Marinette was slightly upset, because she had her own plans to meet up with Alya after school and tell all about her interaction with Adrien and how brave the blue-bell eyed girl was.

 _"_ _Not today, I guess. Oh, Alya is going to be so mad!"_ The holder of ladybug miraculous sighed.

Just being reminded of that scene caused Marinette to blush crimson red, as she hasn't quite understood what has happened herself, not to mention having to explain it to her best friend who asked for details. And the thing Marinette knew about her curious friend for sure is that Alya _really means_ _it._ Dupain-Cheng won't be able to escape so easily and…deep down inside she honestly wanted to scream and tell the whole world about the situation, that occurred at school. Who knew maybe they could even _kiss?_ _No-no, don't get ahead of yourself, Marinette!_ Ah, Adrien looks so good when embarrassed!

 _"_ _Can you meet me in the park? I would love to say hello to your parents as well, but I am already ten minutes late. Could you pick Manon up there?"_

Dupain-Cheng was prepared this time. She decided to grab some sweets and her infamous hand-made dolls of Ladybug and Chat Noir, as well as some new once she'd made in her free time. Though she wondered whether it was okay, since last time these dolls were used by an akumatized five-year old. But she was quickly reassured by Tikki. After all, she won't make same mistake twice.

So she rushed to the destination after a brief goodbye to her parents, who shook their heads. Their daughter is always running off so fast, before they have the chance to ask her about it.

"Maybe she is meeting a boy?" Sabine suggested, pulling her husband into a loving hug.

"What?! It can't be! She would have told us, right?" Tom Dupain quickly replied with a concerned look on his face, amusing his wife.

"Don't get so worked up about it, honey. I am just saying." She chuckled, as Tom pulled her even closer to him, as the both adults stared at the door. That theory would explain a lot to be completely honest.

Returning back to Marinette, the girl's successfully reached her destination. After a brief greeting with Manon's mother (and a bunch of 'thank you's), the teenage now had to entertain Chamack's little child for who knows how long.

"Well, what do you want to do, Manon?" the girl asked, smiling. The weather was nice and park seemed to offer many interesting things to play with. Like, for example, a children's playground. Or her own arsenal of plushy dolls seemed like a good idea.

"Where's is the Unicorn Lady?" Manon blankly asked, tilting her head to the side in an unamused manner.

Ah, she meant none other than Alya Césaire. The miraculous holder knew that Alya was much better than her with kids, since she had many younger siblings. Seemed like her friend had a natural talent and she has always been helping Marinette with babysitting. Though sometimes the brunette couldn't help but feel a slight guilt for constantly asking for help, including the previous time with Audiomatrix. It was a miracle, that the Ladyblog creator hadn't discovered her secret life yet, with so many times and clues scrapping the surface. So this time Marinette decided for sure – she can deal with the five-year old herself. Is it really that hard?

"She…She can't, because I am your babysitter today." The teenager patted the pouting girl's head. "How about we play with dolls?"

A spark of joy has ignited the little girl's eyes, as she cheerfully clapped her hands.

"Yay! I'll be Ladybug this time. Can I, Marinette?"

The part time babysitter sighed with relief. At least her plan worked. She hoped, oh how she hoped, that it would keep the child distracted for much longer time. Manon had a really short attention span, so it was important to keep her interested in one thing at a time. Or else the bluebell-eyed girl won't be able to handle the situation.

"Chat Noir, destroy the villain, we have to win and make rainbow shine again!" Chamack giggled.

"That would be _pawesome_ , my Lady! Lead the way!"

Marinette may have had a little _too_ much fun with imitating her crime fighting partner. She couldn't help herself, the cat puns made their way from her brain straight to the mouth, as she turned almost everything the hero in a cat costume say into bad, made-on-spot puns, which made even a five-year old wince. _Purrhaps_ that why they were so fun to make? Although she wasn't sure if that was the reason Chat Noir had behind his words. He was well aware of her annoyance every time he tried to flirt or joke in an embarrassing way, so why go through this entire _cat_ astrophe anyway?

 _"_ _I wonder if Chat would be proud of my success."_ It wasn't like she had never joked or made a ridiculous pun back at her partner. Whenever she did reply in the same manner, even behind that mask, a genuine sparkle of happiness could be seen, shining through the boy. She did find it quite…cute.

"I am pretty sure Chat is slightly cooler than that," A smug comment was heard behind the girls' backs, as they simultaneously turned around.

"Alya! What are you doing here?" Marinette stood up, as Manon nearly flew into the tan girl's arms. Has she been there for long?

"Well, you didn't warn me about your urgent job." Alya smiled, nodding her head to Manon, as she picked her up. "So when I came to your place, your parents informed me instead."

"I am sorry, I must have been hurrying so much that I forgot to call you." Césaire smiled knowingly. So much for a clumsy best friend of hers. What would she be doing without her trusty friend?

"Hey, I forgive you. You must have a lot on your mind right now," Alya winked. "I want all the details." She whispered earning a blush from her shy friend and a confused look from the girl she was holding in her hands:

"Does Marinette have a boyfriend?" Kids are so open-minded and adorably say the first things that come to their head without thinking.

"I don't know, does she now?" The blogger teased which resulted in her friend smiling ever so slightly and coyly looking away. She knew some progress has been made today. Although they better stop this talk and start discussing something other or else Nadia won't be too thrilled about her daughter's new vocabulary and possible questions.

"So, do you want to stay in the park?" Alya cleared her throat.

"I guess so." Marinette shrugged, looking slightly dozed off, like she did when imagining her perfect date or wedding with Adrien Agreste.

Alya rolled her eyes. She then felt Manon tugging on her shoulder, as if she wanted to show her something.

"What is it, sweet-

The girl gasped. She saw Adrien with a girl on a bench near the school. From the looks of it they had a nice time together. Adrien kept smiling, rubbing the back of his head, while the girl in red was explaining something to him. So that was the girl from his fencing classes, huh? If Marinette saw them, she might get jealous and start worrying again.

 _"_ _Oh no, not when things started getting better."_ Alya instantly thought, as she put the girl down on the ground. The teenager put her pointer finger on her lips and made a 'shh' sound. Surprisingly, Manon simply nodded.

"I really think we should go to your place, Marinette." Césaire rushed to her friend, blocking her view. She knew they had to get out of the park as soon as possible.

"Why? I thought it would be good to stay here a little longer." Dupain-Cheng replied, blinking. She had tried to peek over her friend's shoulder, but to no success. Was she hiding something?

"Because Manon must be hungry, right?" Alas, the small girl shook her head 'no'. Seriously, couldn't she play along?

"See, she doesn't-

"Maybe I am hungry!" Deep down Alya winced. She was acting very strange and it looked like Marinette caught on to that.

"Okay, let's head back then." She really wasn't in the mood to question Alya, since it won't get her anywhere. With a raised eyebrow, she started collecting her dolls and putting them back in her bag. In either way they would have a talk once they get to the bakery. The miraculous holder hoped Nadja would pick up her daughter by the time they get there.

Throwing a brief glance at the two, she saw that Adrien was waving at someone in the distance on the opposite side of the park, presumably his fencing friend, because she wasn't standing next to him anymore. The model walked into the school building. Looks like she dodged a bullet there.

"Come to think of it, do you want ice-cream? I heard the park has a very delicious chocolate and mint ice cream parlor." Now that the danger was behind, they could stay in the park a while longer. Alya felt victorious, as if she has won an achievement of stealth or something, even though her act wasn't as smooth.

Now Marinette was very confused.

"Are you feeling well? Is there something I shouldn't see or what?" The brunette looked around, but hasn't found anything suspicious. Just what was that all about?

"Hooray, I want ice-cream! Let's go!" It felt as though Manon decided for them, Marinette wasn't left a choice other than to just roll with it. With a sigh, she followed the child and her friend, who put a hand around her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll tell you sometime." Alya said, as her best friend only shook her head in reply. Whatever it was, that has been done for a reason. They'll have plenty of time to talk.

The trio spent a few hours in the park and it was delightful. Manon wasn't too hard to handle, the ice cream really was delicious and the fact that Alya still wasn't able to discover who Ladybug was made that day even better. Mrs. Chamack also called Marinette and told her she'll stop by in an hour.

The sky started to grow darker, as the day slowly started to give it's place to evening. The girls were near the Dupain-Cheng's bakery.

"I was so surprised when-

As Marinette was telling a story that has occurred one time, the girl was simultaneously opening the door. She stopped dead in her tracks, as her mouth has almost dropped to the ground at the sight she's instantly witnessed.

"Welcome home, darling," Sabine cheerfully said. "We have a guest."

Sitting with Marinette's parents was the infamous Adrien "Perfection" Agreste himself, as he smiled brightly, looking at anything else but the girl, who stood there in awe:

"Hello, Marinette!"


	10. Adrien's visit

A/N: Feels like I am on a roll, posting these chapters so quickly! I can't help, but want to write more and more of this fluff! I hope I'd live to see fanart based on my fanfiction. (I am not hinting at anything, lol.)

Anyhow, thank you and enjoy!

Warning: strong cat puns ahead! (You have been warned!)

* * *

Plagg has already come to know, that whenever Adrien Agreste has something on his mind or something he wants to do, he would eventually end up doing so. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing it just meant that the boy was very ambitious and dedicated to whatever that was he wanted to do. The fact that was bothering the little kwami is Adrien's lack of listening to Plagg.

 _"_ _Kid, I've been living in this world for thousands of years,"_ the black cat would sometimes say _. "So would you be so kind to at least listen to me from time to time?"_ Seriously now, why be so stubborn?

And this time was no exception. After the small dialog the kwami and his holder had, Adrien still decided it was better to visit the Dupain-Chengs. Even though he had no logical explanation why, he was just following his heart, like countless times before. At least he now had the confidence and the after effect of Marinette's kabedon has slowly faded away, just as his worries.

He figured she would be home at that time, helping her parents with the bakery. The closer he got to the building, the stronger smell of fresh baked pastries became. It kind of reminded him of scent Marinette had. Well, he has always had the sweet tooth. Though couldn't really eat much of it, since he had to maintain his modeling career.

The boy hesitated before knocking.

"It's not too late to change your mind, kid." Plagg mused, picking his head out of the teenager's bag.

"I am certain, Plagg. Just bear with me." He concluded, gesturing to his bag earning some looks from the passer-bys.

As Adrien walked into the bakery, a soft ring of bell was heard. He looked around, scratching his head in confusion. Deep down he hoped Marinette would be by the counter, greeting his with her shy yet charming smile.

Just as he finished that random thought, he heard footsteps. Quite heavy ones at that.

"Honey, we have a new customer!" A female voice was heard and right after Marinette's father Tom appeared, putting on his apron.

"Yes, dear." He replied, making his way to the entrance, before turning his head in the new guest's direction.

Agreste couldn't help but smile. His friend's parents were so in love, hence why the small bakery always felt like a warm, welcoming place. Strange, how right now Adrien felt like he was home.

"Oh, Adrien, is it? Hello and welcome to our bakery!" Tom's eyes brightened up, as he enthusiastically shook hands with the boy.

"Good evening, Mr. Dupain!" The boy smiled, answering the handshake. Marinette's dad had quite the grip!

"Did you just say 'Adrien'?" Sabine Cheng asked, making her way to the slightly flustered model.

"Hello! How have you been? We haven't seen you in a while." She began chattering. It was great to see the boy once again.

"Good evening, Mrs. Cheng! I was planning to, but I never had the time."

Adrien found Marinette's parents quite amusing. They were very open-minded people and gave off the feeling of safety and a strong one of hospitality. Not counting various times they helped him and Ladybug defend the Paris from the evil Hawkmoth. He then recalled that one time he and Marinette were practicing for the Ultimate Mecha Strike III tournament. It was the time she gave him her lucky bracelet, wasn't it? It was so long ago, yet the memory of that good day in his mind was fresh as ever.

"We are glad you stopped by," the couple beamed. It's pity their daughter wasn't at home. Or was it..? "Would you like something to eat?"

Exchanging somewhat sly glances of mischief, the parents lead Adrien to the living room. Sabine started preparing tea, while Tom was putting the freshly baked goods on the table in front of the boy. They couldn't explain why, but every time they saw Gabriel's son, they felt the urge to feed him something. And the happy face Adrien made after they did, was one of the best things in the world.

"Thank you, everything looks delicious!" the blond boy replied, taking a bit from the chocolate filled croissant. A pure delight made it's way on his face, as Adrien took in the flavor of the pastry. He always enjoyed the goods from Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie, but the more he ate these pastries, the more he started to like them. Although he felt put on spot, as he sensed a very intense look of Marinette's parents looking at him. That's why he decided to break the awkward silence that was starting to form.

"So," he began after finishing yet another croissant. "Marinette is not home?" Adrien hoped he didn't come off as nosy. He briefly looked at the stairs, which led to the brunette's room. There's no way she would be there, right?

"She is out with Alya and Manon. I think she'll return soon." Sabine replied, as Tom glanced at the clock. It was starting to get late. What was taking her so long anyway?

Adrien felt his heartbeat quicken. Her mother's words didn't calm him as much as he thought they would. He isn't intruding, right? A part of him felt out of place, as much as he liked the Dupain-Chengs' company. He wondered if he was the only one who felt that way. Nevertheless, he also tried not to think about Marinette's reaction, when she will get home. He didn't see the girl in the park, so where could she and Alya have gone to?

Seeing the lost look in the blond's emerald eyes, Sabine gestured to her husband to change the subject and quick.

"Don't _cat_ the wrong idea, Adrien. Help yourself to some bis _cat_ s." Tom held his laughter from a genius pun he made. People with sense of humor are preferred, right?

Here's when all the building tension in Adrien snapped, as his pure laughter rang, sounding like a melody. A true perfection, indeed.

 _"He made pun! He made cat puns!"_ the more he gave it the thought, the funnier it got. Marinette's dad is awesome, he makes jokes and also likes to make puns, as it seemed. It couldn't be a coincidence. Why doesn't Marinette herself use them, when she has such a great pun-generator?

"Any minute _meow_! These taste su _purr_ b!" It was the Chat Noir within him he couldn't help but make a pun back! Apparently, the boy wasn't the only one who found cat puns hilarious as a good laugh was heard from Tom.

"That's my boy!" He chuckled, wiping a tear from his face. The feeling (or must he say _feline?_ ) of "you are already part of the family, please, marry our daughter" has been growing with each passing second.

Now that the awkwardness and stiffness began to fade away, the trio continued a small pastry break.

"You must be very busy in your free time, I heard you also attend fencing and Chinese lessons." Cheng looked at the boy, who coyly nodded his head. Wang Cheng told her about Marinette's friend's good Chinese and how fluent Agreste is. She felt very proud of the boy and sympathy made its way to her heart. Gabriel was too harsh on his son, wasn't he?

"That's right. I also take basketball and piano courses, as well as karate." He replied calmly, taking a sip of the fruit tea.

"You are so talented!" Sabine exclaimed, putting a hand on his shoulder.

That's when Adrien's heart felt heavy. It was so confusing to hear genuine compliments from people he hardly knew and have them acknowledge his talents. Gabriel, his own father, on the other hand, has never even said anything about it or at least never noticed. Was Adrien only there to make a profit? That was a horrible thing to think about, but was the boy to blame? The lack of simply parental love has never been so noticeable. After his mother disappeared things have never been the same anyway…What's with this attitude?

"Thank you." He replied with a small smile. He had to keep his inner feelings inside or else he will be acting rude on his behalf.

"And how is the modeling going?" Tom asked, taking a bite from the cookie. Although he knew everything a little _too well_ thanks to his daughter's constant squealing, as she was flipping through the pages of fashion magazines that had a bunch of pictures with Adrien. Tom and his wife had concerns about their child's obsession over Gabriel's only son. While it was cute, they were just looking out for her. Her crushing on him was too obvious for them to not notice. Most of the times they were respecting her privacy and tried their best to not bring up that topic too much. But they couldn't let the opportunity slip from their grasp when the said crush came to their house himself.

"It's going well, I guess." Agreste shrugged. His modeling career wasn't a very interesting thing for him to talk about. Although he was glad that his classmate's parents knew about it, making him feel proud and slightly less self-conscious. Believe it or not, he did have those times he was self-conscious about himself, letting his introverted side show.

"Marinette talks a lot about you," Sabine smiled, pouring Adrien another cup of tea. "She cherishes the bracelet you've gifted her." The proub mother mused, taking a seat next to the boy, whose eyes widened.

" _Please_ , he is always on her mind!" Tom added, laughing, before feeling his wife's elbow on his arm.

 _"_ _You can't have all the fun to yourself."_ Dupain gave her a look.

 _"_ _Wait for your turn then."_ She smirked. It felt as though a little game of who can get the best reaction out of Adrien. They couldn't hide the fact that they wanted him to notice Marinette. And test if he had feelings for her. Poor Adrien didn't know what he signed for, the price he had to pay for his visit and the mouth-watering sweets he ate.

Meanwhile, the green-eyed boy nearly choked on his tea. _He is always on her mind?_ That wasn't the first time he heard that same exact sentence from Marinette's parents. At first he thought they were just being polite and tried to keep up the conversation going, but now he didn't know what to think.

And she kept her bracelet, just as he did hers? It did surprisingly bring him luck whenever he needed it. That was so sweet of her!

"Marinette is very kind. I am glad she thinks of me as a good friend!" Agreste regained himself, questioning the look the adults gave him.

 _A good friend?_ Marinette thought of him _as a good friend_? Wow, how didn't he notice her crush being so obvious, it hurt? Could it be of his busy schedule?

 _"_ _Well, girls do grow faster than boys."_ Sabine tried to find an explanation.

Though, they decided to let it pass, before they uncontrollably said the truth. Marinette must confess to him herself eventually.

"I was so surprised when-

Marinette's voice was heard, as she was slowly opening the door, her head turned to Alya.

Adrien gulped nervously, immediately shifting his gaze to the floor.

"Welcome home, darling," Sabine cheerfully said, thanking her child for the punctuation. "We have a guest."

The look on Marinette's face could be described as horror, in some way. She dropped her back on the floor as all the color drained from her face for a moment.

"Hello, Marinette!" Adrien's bright smile found its way on his lips again, as he waved at her, feeling Tom's strong hands on his shoulder.

"Manon, let's go upstairs," Alya broke the silence, taking the girl's hand. She kneeled down to pick up her clumsy friend's back, closing Marinette's mouth. Manon didn't have time to object, as the blogger rushed upstairs. As much as she wanted to stay, she had to prepare Marinette's room and hide as much of Adrien's posters and pictures as possible, in case of the model visiting the said room.

"Adrien, I-What are you doing here?" Marinette breathed out, covering her cheeks with her hands. Blushing furiously, she blinked rapidly her goofy wide smile present on her soft lips. She was sure her birthday had already passed, so what was the occasion of such a gift? Adrien Agreste himself, waiting for her at home with her parents and smiling so warmly? Today was certainly the best day!

Tom and Sabine excused themselves, as they walked to another room, leaving the flustered 'couple' alone.

"I just wanted to see you." He replied, scratching the back of his head. The words had a hard time forming and his voice also felt uncharacteristically quiet and low. His hands slightly sweating. Adrien found her expression adorable as-

Adorable? Since when he thought of her as adorable? A lot people and things are adorable: like cats, for example, right? He felt like a panicking mess. What was he doing here again? And why it was much warmer in the room right now?

"I-I see…" Marinette grinned. Such a shame Alya wasn't witnessing this.

"W-would like to go see my room?" Wait, that sounded wrong. "I mean! Um, would you like to go upstairs?" Last time she checked, she removed the majority of his pictures from her walls, hoping he would visit her someday. Who knew that day would be so soon.

"Sure, let's go." Adrien nodded, following Marinette. He had no idea what to talk about, but he knew that he wanted to talk to her. It could be anything, as long as Dupain-Cheng talked to him. He felt like he needed to catch up with her.

As the duo appeared in the room, Alya was telling a story to a half sleep Manon.

"- And then she broke the evil King's spell by the kiss. The Lady and the Prince lived happily ever after!" She concluded, fixing her glasses.

"By the way, Nadja called. She is already waiting to pick Manon." The ypung blogger replied, looking at her friends. Adrien was looking around the room, while Marinette watched him with complete adoration. These dorks needed to be together.

"So I will take this little troublemaker and go." Alya winked at Marinette, who returned back to her senses. "Don't take it too far, girl." Her friend whispered, before storming off closing the door. She is so sly, just like a fox!

"Alya!" Dupain-Cheng cried, blushing madly, causing into Adrien raising an eyebrow.

Now they were left alone, with no interruption. What new will Adrien's visit bring?


	11. Dumbfounded, yet he somehow managed

A/N: Episode 8 of season 2…

*deep breath*

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!

I don't know Spanish, but my brother does. So I _kind of_ forced him to translate the whole episode for me. It was one of the best moments I've had this year.

Without further ado, please enjoy and leave your reviews!

(P.S: I am posting this so late in the night, sorry for mistakes!)

* * *

Marinette's room was fascinating in its unique way of attracting a pair of curious green eyes, which belonged to none other than her all time crush. Adrien looked around for the fourth time in a row and after each glance he found himself discovering new things. The sewing machine in the corner, the stylish and pink interior of her room, which immediately gave off a gentle vibe were one thing. He saw the stack of fashion designer books, journals as well as some sketches on the table. The boy also noticed a big pile of journals and magazines (he could have sworn they all had his name on their spine) though his eyes couldn't see that far, since the said journals were piled on top of each other in the very corner of the room. Marinette had a mannequin with an unfinished hat resting on its head, not to mention various artsy tools and paints all over the place. The thought the little yellow sticky notes she had on her computer screen were cute, reminding him of the fact that the brunette needed to leave herself small reminders of the upcoming events or TV broadcasts and homework.

The teenagers were sitting on the floor. It was for not a particular reason, they just randomly did, without giving it much thought. Marinette hadn't even shifted once after their friend left them to each other's company, sitting straight and stiff as ever.

His classmate noticed how he had been inspecting her room with a very hard thinking expression, which she interpreted as almost judging one even. They haven't said a word after Alya left them.

"Sorry, if my room is not tidy enough," she blurted out, making Adrien slightly jump. He must be in shock, seeing how messy her room is! Marinette felt embarrassed, at the same time thanking herself and Alya for hiding the leftover pictures of Adrien Agreste. What if he stumbled upon them by accident and thought of her as a creepy lonely stalker?

"Not at all!" Agreste defended, looking at Marinette. "I like it. It reflects on the kind of person you are." He warmly said. It only showed how talented, responsible and dedicated to her dream of becoming a world-wide known fashion designer. But why was she making that face.

His friend, however, got everything wrong.

 _"_ _So he thinks I am messy, clumsy and all over the place?"_ Marinette frowned, stifling a sigh.

Adrien noticed the slight shift in the mood, so he once again gazed into her clear blue eyes that were immediately clouded by a disappointed look.

"I meant…" the blond hesitated. "You are very talented, organized and dedicated. That's what I meant by saying that." The bemused expression on her face and then a very shy smile that followed afterwards made his heart rate quicken. Ah, he knew he shouldn't have eaten that many coffee-flavored croissants!

"You really think so..?" She breathed out, feeling giggly. She still couldn't believe that she, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, was hanging out one on one with the famous Adrien Agreste. She wished time would stop, not even dreaming of him thinking about the same thing.

"I _know_ so." He whispered, turning his head away from Marinette as soon as he felt her eyes focused on him, as the brunette stared at him.

She was told nobody is perfect. Then what was Adrien? The way his golden hair caught the setting sun's last rays, his clear green eyes stealing a few secretive looks from her, his slender, soft and gentle features that Marinette had always seen on the covers of various magazines and at school were never so close to her, the way he whispered words of genuine praise and these smiles he gave her _._ It made her feel lightheaded, thinking about how close Adrien was sitting at her, as she could almost feel his warm breath.

If things were to continue the way they were now, Dupain-Cheng didn't know if she would be able to restrain and hold back any longer. She gulped nervously each time she accidently found her eyes focused on his hands or chest. Any minute now she wanted to pull him closer to her. Blushing ferociously, she cleared her throat.

"So-

"So-

The teenagers immediately shushed themselves, as soon as they heard one another beginning to talk. The atmosphere grew awkward. Just when Adrien was sure the awkwardness faded away, he was stuck on the same place again. He saw how tensed up she was, ready to burst into gibberish any time he asked a question. So Agreste wanted to check if that was true:

"Marinette?"

"Y-yes, Adrien?" She stuttered as usual, fidgeting her fingers.

He got the confirmation. So he was right. But why? Why was she acting this way again? It felt as if she was constantly holding herself back or something. They've spend some time together, yet she won't budge. Where did all her confidence disappear to? He hoped he'd see her this way once again.

He stopped. No, it is good she acts they way she usually does. If the timid Marinette would let her confident side show, Adrien won't know what to do and…how to feel.

"I hope you aren't scared of me?" He led out a nervous laugh.

"W-what makes you think that?" Marinette looked utterly confused as she cocked an eyebrow at him. How could he read into her actions so badly?

"Feels like you are always so stiff around me and you can't look me in the eye." He confessed, feeling his heart increasing its pace ever so slightly as he waited for her answer.

"I am not scared," she shook her head sideways. "I am just a little nervous in front of you." Marinette breathed out, taking all of her might to look him in the eyes that widened in surprise.

Nervous? Who was he out of all people to be nervous in front of? Marinette acted brave in front of Chat Noir, Jagged Stone and many famous people, so it wasn't because he was famous.

He scooted closer to her, slightly _too close_ for her own comfort.

"Why?" Adrien dared to ask, gulping involuntarily, feeling the urge to backtrack any second.

Marinette's blush intensified, as she felt the warmth coming from the boy next to her. She wouldn't be able to confess nor hold back at the same time.

"Because…I feel…I would love-

Love?

"I would love to request a hug from you!" Marinette couldn't believe she had just said that. A hug is not such a big deal, right? It is fine for a friend to ask for a hug, right? Although, the girl had to admit she'd never seen Adrien openly hug anyone before. She didn't count the time they were dancing, since what else could he have possibly done?

Adrien blinked dumbfounded. The way she was acting so nervous was because of a hug? Marinette got so worked up because of a simple request for hug?

He liked getting/giving out hugs, as long as they weren't from Chloe Bourgeois, who he was certain wanted to squish the poor boy's soul out, as if he is a tube of toothpaste.

But Marinette Dupain-Cheng was, of course, different. They shared a hug and a dance at the president's daughter party that one and only time, not counting the various times he hugged her as Chat Noir to protect her from akumatized villain and get her to safety.

"You want a hug?" Adrien tried his best to hide a childish grin from forming and to refrain himself from teasing the bluebell-eyed one.

She just nodded shyly, letting her spirits down.

"I understand if you won't want to-

"Come here." He almost ordered. Dupain-Cheng looked up at him in anticipation, as she saw her crush opening his arms widely with a charming smile present on his face.

She didn't need to be told twice. With a small squeal Marinette gently wrapped her arms around the model's neck, pulling closer to him. Adrien led out a small breath of surprise at her eagerness. And a mischievous idea made its way to his brain.

Agreste pulled the girl closer, resting his head on hers, her quick breathing tickling his neck.

"I am so happy right now." Marinette sighed dreamily without realizing it. Adrien though didn't reply to not ruin the moment.

Although he silently agreed in his head. He also felt slightly happier inside, without any explanation. Hugs are generally nice, he concluded.

They broke apart soon after, avoiding the awkwardness of the hug that might have been too long for just friends.

Adrien kept his smile, as he looked at Marinette, who seemed to calm down her excitement. What was his plan again?

The brunette stayed still, taking in the look on his face with each passing second.

"I am-

"Shhh." Marinette shushed. She needed to remember the slight blush on his cheeks before that intimate atmosphere faded away. Little did she know, she was too focused on the boy in front of her, as she ignored his attempts to speak to her.

Adrien was puzzled. If she kept staring at him with her dazed smile such as this, he might feel the need to get to the comfort of his own house. Her eyes were twinkling and lips formed a smile of adoration.

The wielder of ladybug miraculous decided to test a theory of hers. She recalled the memory of her bellowed blushed boy, who she pinned to a wall, hours ago back at school. She couldn't pass up the opportunity of having Adrien for herself once in her life. So the girl started to build up a plan in the back of her mind, to test if her confidence was the missing link in their interactions. Now that she got her hug, Marinette was sure she had a small time of immunity to how charming her friend was.

"Marinette-

Agreste was shushed this time by Marinette's small finger on his lips, as she moved forward with her eyes half closed. A gesture changed the leader of the situation, and Adrien felt helpless for some odd reason. Tables turned and ADrien didn't see it coming.

Still keeping her finger on his mouth, she proceeded to whisper in his ear:

"I think I've found your weakness, Adrien." She heard him gulp loudly, as the boy tensed up.

A victorious grin was once again present, as Marinette pulled herself away instantly, further away from the boy to take in the results of her game. And, _boy_ was she happy with the outcome. She even wondered, whether she took things too far, remembering the warning Alya gave her beforehand.

The dumbfounded and lost look on the blond's face as well as the sudden reddening of his cheeks secured his defeat to her hidden charms. He made a failed attempt to hide his blush by covering half of his face with his hand. _" stopped working."_

Adrien felt his heart drumming in his chest like the drums he heard on Jagged Stone's concert. He wanted to see her confident side, didn't he? Maybe because it reminded him of how bold Ladybug was? Somehow it felt more embarrassing, since he wasn't Chat Noir and Marinette isn't Ladybug. Thank goodness he was sitting down, or else he'd fallen on the floor by the time now.

He didn't know how to explain his sudden changes or maybe he hadn't tried to search for the answer hard enough. They Marinette's eyelids were half closed and her whisper sending shivers to his spine made him feel dizzy and hot…Well, _hotter_.

The sudden laughter brought him back to reality.

"I am so sorry!" Marinette laughed, the pink blush not leaving her face. "I didn't mean to come off so pushy and startle you." The adorable laughter grew louder, as Dupain-Cheng was slowly burying herself in her head. She also didn't know what has gotten into her so suddenly. Test a theory? The act she put up would embarrass anyone, not only Adrien. Uh-oh, Marinette, your Ladybug is showing! Settle down a little bit.

That's right, Ladybug! She wondered why was sure her boldness would work. She had seen Adrien getting flustered by Ladybug's confidence. Marinette was slightly jealous of herself at that one, since her crime-fighting alter-ego could get these sweet reactions out of her crush. Would Marinette be able to pull of something like this again? _Heavens no!_

Returning to his own self, Agreste joined his good friend in laughing. It was absurd, right? All the puzzle pieces gathered together and made a link.

He deducted it was all just a big prank. Alya and her best friend pulled on him. It could explain Alya's words:

"Don't take it too far, girl."

It was all an act, a simple play to simply bond with each other. It would also be so much like Marinette to do such a thing, he thought. She had fun hanging out with him and pranked him right? Haha, clever!

They were sharing a good laugh. They bonded, they really did! Now Adrien didn't need to worry about their friendship at all!

Although Adrien didn't know, if he was just being delusional on his behalf. Why would Marinette prank him for, again? What happened was the hug extra? Was it an excuse to embarrass him and get the revenge? Get the revenge for what? His head was pulsing with headache and a brain storm.

Poor Plagg was murmuring all the swear words he wanted to so kindly share with Adrien about his stupidity. And there wasn't even a tiny slice of Camambert. Unbelievable!

Adrien's phone suddenly rang. It was Gorilla, informing him that he waited for the boy outside. They teenagers hadn't noticed how quickly the evening came.

"I'll see you out." Marinette smiled, not looking him in the eye. Adrien nodded and followed her silently.

The Dupain-Cheng gave him a bag of fresh delicious sweets and macaroons, before Adrien exited the bakery.

"See you tomorrow, Marinette!" Agreste forced himself to smile, despite how heave his head felt.

"Bye! I see you are in a going form big _crush_ , I mean, in a big _rush_! Bye Adrien!" The brunette laughed nervously, scratching the back of her neck as she had a foolish grin plastered all over her face. She stumbled on her words and messed up so badly, almost calling him her crush in his face!

The model sat in his car and sighed heavily. His eyes darted open as he gasped loudly, processing his classmate's words. He ignored the confused expression Gorilla shot at him. It all made sense now. He _was_ indeed in a big rush, escaping from

 _A big crush_.


	12. R is for Realization

A/N: I may or may not post some other Miraculous Ladybug side stories while I am working on this one. Do you think it's a good idea?

* * *

"Adrien, how **_obvious_** was it really?!"

It came off to him as a surprise, that Plagg can be very serious and strict. It's the first time he saw the little black cat creature being that frustrated and unbalanced as he scolded the boy, dramatically gesturing with his small paws to strengthen the impact and point of his words. And it wasn't like him and Plagg had the best partnership in history, certainly not. While there were some similar traits the owner of the miraculous and the ancient creature had, there were also things both had a complete different understanding of. And one clear example for that was love.

See, the key reason to Plagg's fury was that he couldn't take the obliviousness of Adrien Agreste. His big crush for Ladybug overshadowed the clueless teenager's growing feelings for Marinette to such extent, that it became harder and harder for the Camembert-loving cat to not interfere. No matter how much Plagg told him, that maybe visiting the bluebell-eyed 'princess' as Chat Noir in the late evening wasn't the brightest idea from the bunch, the boy never listened nor considered. Heck, Plagg had even forgot his eternal hunger for the cheese to give some valuable advice to Adrien(valuable or not, telling the creature otherwise was a waste of time). He sometimes wondered if Tikki had faced the same problem with Ladybug, whoever that girl was.

When the superhero did not listen, Plagg still tried to reason with him. He teased, he was being sarcastic, but no success was made. He even tried to find Adrien someone besides Ladybug, picking out a heart-shaped card from the bunch of ones the famous boy had received. While kwami and Agreste had no idea, that he picked Marinette Dupain-Cheng's card out of the bunch, it didn't really matter.

"I might have a small crush on her…?" The model hid his gaze from the intense stare of his 'pet', when the boy got home from the bakery.

Oh, so _now_ he is all shocked and flustered, huh? Plagg was surprised how Adrien was able to admit and realize his feelings. It was such a strangely absurd thing that got him to that point was his classmate's stuttering a certain sentence:

 _"_ _Bye! I see you are in a going form big_ crush, _I mean, in a big_ rush _! Bye Adrien!"_

Plagg had been in Adrien's pocket his whole visit, sleeping through his interaction with Sabine and Tom. What had awoken him from his peaceful nap, was none other but Marinette herself, her voice turning into a squeak or squeal every time she tried to have a conversation with Agreste.

 _"_ _Oh, now that's interesting!"_ Plagg remembered a thought cross his mind at that exact time, as he grinned devilishly. Well, since he had no cheese or things to do, why not listen on his owner's private life. That way he could have some fun and give out advices.

When they boy headed out in a big rush, Plagg hadn't even thought about the blond realizing his feelings for the brunette. He felt the boy run to the car, nearly smashing on the door as he did. Then his felt his heartbeat quicken and a loud gasp. No words were said, that gasp was suspicious and slightly overwhelming. The kwami though didn't give it much thought, since Adrien is acting weird at times.

However, in the comfort of his own room the boy gives him a: 'I might have a small crush on her…?' nonsense.

"Adrien, how **_obvious_** was it really?!"

The boy winced at the way the black cat kwami's voice sounded almost offended. He didn't know what was better, honestly: Plagg teasing and nagging him all the time or Plagg being pissed off and mad?

So Adrien's constant pain in the stomach and drowsiness wasn't because of the amount of pastries he had munched down in the Dupain-Cheng's bakery. The way his heart was marching in his chest wasn't from caffeine. He still couldn't believe how things turned into a completely different way. What about Ladybug then? Would it be okay, if Adrien had a crush on Marinette and Chat Noir being head over heels over Ladybug? His feelings for Marinette were different from the once he had for his Lady. He did not agree with Plagg's idea of Chat idolizing the spotted heroine, since he liked her braveness, courageousness, selfishness and wit. Yes, maybe she has insecurities, but she became so strong, it seems like she is not self-conscious at all. She did some silly and wrong things, like not willing to listen /believe Chloe, or the time she appeared and shouted at Lila. He loved that confident and at times stubborn girl who fought by his side.

The way he started feeling for Marinette Dupain-Cheng was different. Could be because he sees her everyday and knows her better? Deep down he wanted to sit with her in his arms, having any kind of talk and just sit there, comfortably and warm. He didn't mind where to be, he wanted it to be cozy, simply by being next to her. At least, that was what his heart needed.

His thoughts were interrupted by Plagg clearing his throat and then stuffing in with his favorite cheese, with a pouty expression. At least his kwami was distracted and stopped yelling.

"Plagg, I am sorry," Adrien sighed, gently grabbing the little creature, placing it into his open palms. "All of this is so new to me and I may act silly or ranting a lot. But I want you to know, that I do consider your word, so…" The boy smiled sadly.

 _"_ _Wow, he's good."_ The kwami rolled his eyes and sighed lightly. Well, he can't stay mad forever. And the cheese tasted more delicious than usual, so he decided to forgive Agreste. The boy was still young and was only getting a hold of the rich tapestry of life. Let him fun during these precious times.

"Alright, kid, seeing you all worried about me makes me feel uncomfortable."

Adrien brightened up, letting a small chuckle escape his lips.

"And a thing for future," the kwami added, as Adrien listened to his words with a spark of curiosity, "Don't use your charms on me, it's weird and it won't work next time." Plagg spoke, putting his tongue out.

"Okay, I promise. Sorry."

"No wonder girls fall for you all the time. Keep a hold of yourself." The little creature was referencing the infamous 'Umbrella scene' Adrien and Marinette had. Though he was sure the boy won't probably get that reference anyway. Why does he even try?

"Alright, I- Wait, what?" Adrien looked puzzled, as Plagg saluted him and hid somewhere between his book shelves.

Oh, when would he ever learn?

"Anyhow, how can I possibly face her tomorrow?" Right, now he has another thing to worry about. Would he be able to act natural around his new crush? Since he didn't really have to hide his crush from Ladybug, she already knew. Knew, but didn't fall for him yet, Chat always reminded himself, as it made him feel slightly better. Now, things changed. He is crushing on another girl, who he was positive, didn't have any interest in dating, She must be so busy, helping her parents and focusing on designing and things. There was no way…

"Hey, lighten up." Plagg muttered, flying next to him, as Adrien dramatically leaned onto his window, his forehead resting on his forearm. Seeing the boy struggling with his inner feelings was sometimes unbearable. He was sure, if Adrien had his mother around, he would talk to her and get some motherly love. His father wasn't around when Agreste needed him or someone to talk. So Plagg felt he was responsible for these types of talks with the young boy.

"I am sure things will work out fine." The kwami said, before going to sleep. It was late.

Adrien nodded, murmuring a quick 'thanks' to his friend. He needed to keep it a secret, although he questioned, whether telling his best pal Nino was the best idea. He was dating Alya and Cessaire was the closest friend of Marinette. However, he shared everything (besides being a superhero in disguise) with Nino.

"Maybe I should just sleep on it." Agreste concluded, yawning. He reread some of his manga before going to sleep just in case. He had to be prepared for best and worst scenarios.

The morning is wiser than the evening.


	13. A simple yes

"You look really happy today, dude. Did have a date with Ladybug or something?"

Adrien chuckled at his best friend's remark, as both of the teenagers slowly made their way into the classroom the following morning.

Nino has always been paying close attention to Agreste over the past week. While he was his best buddy, it was mostly his girlfriend Alya who has strictly given him a command. He knew she wanted both of their friends to end up together and so did he. Nino just didn't really understand the part of 'keep a close watch on Adrien' and the one where the blogger said 'make sure to give me report on any important thing' with her eyebrows furrowed. It felt as if Alya has always been running ahead of time, as most of the things she asked of her boyfriend were…strange to say the least and, perhaps, sometimes crossed the line. However, he also wanted Adrien to be happy and in a relationship. And who could be a better match than- Well, he wasn't sure. Model dating a superhero sounds more interesting than model dating a fashion-designer. Although the boy couldn't really tell that to Cessaire, since she would _start ranting about the perfect compatibility of Chat Noir and Ladybug._

 _"_ _So don't ruin my one true pairing with your high expectations. I know Adrien is great and all, but we all know Ladybug and Chat are totally crushing on each other! Have you_ _ **seen**_ _the latest interview with Nadja and our superheroes?! They were so comfortable with each other, flirting all around and-"_ Lahiffe smiled lovingly, as he perfectly imagined what Alya would say if he dared to mention the possibility of Adrien and Ladybug dating. Her passionate interest and eagerness was one of the things he really liked about her.

It took Nino by surprise when he saw his friend's bright smile, almost the same one he demonstrated whenever he rambled on and on about the heroine in a ladybug costume, which was why he assumed what he did.

"I am happy that Marinette probably won't be so shy and tense around me." Adrien was positive about that, almost stepping the line of being delusional. After his yesterday's visit he assured himself Dupain-Cheng had the ability of being both shy and timid, as well as having the confidence. What a mix!

Lahiffe cocked an eyebrow at Adrien, as they stopped by their desk:  
"Why are you so sure about it?" He asked, trying to recall whether he was informed about something that happened yesterday, but to no avail.

"You'll see." Adrien winked, his smug expression reminding him of a certain Parisian superhero, as the boy took his seat, his eyes staring at the door in hope to find his prey.

"Have you been bitten by a black cat or something?" Nino laughed, elbowing his friend, who hissed in reply. Well, that was weirdly amusing. Is this why he couldn't play videogames after school? Was he taking a cat imitating classes or something?

"Alya, please be quiet!" Marinette's voice, pierced with panic could be heard through the closed classroom door.

"How can I?! I might start posting anonymous fanfictions with so much material provided!" Cessaire squealed, opening the door. Dupain-Cheng walked in first, looking distressed and blushing madly, failing to cover her face, as her hands shook.

Her best friend, followed. She winked at the boys, catching up to Marinette, who curried her face in the desk. She felt like exploding. Long story short – Alya wasn't kidding, when she has sworn to get out all the details from brunette. Cue the embarrassment.

"Good morning, Marinette!" The model turned around, almost face to face with his friend. She froze for a moment, before the blush returned to her cheeks, as she smiled brightly:

"Good morning, A-Adrien." Well, she made some progress on her stuttering. She remembered the hug Agreste gave her yesterday and she thanked herself for sitting, as she was sure to kiss the floor thanks to her knees feeling week. How dreamy can this boy be?

"Why don't you just give her another hug, Prince Charming?" Cessaire teased, crossing her arms over her chest with a Cheshire grin. Nino snapped his fingers. Damn she was good.

If he has been told a thing like that earlier, the green-eyed boy would just flash one of his polite smiles and say something casual and easy-going like: "Sure!" Now, however, Adrien panicked. The worst thing of all, it was very obvious. He scratched the back of his neck, having a hard time to face the bluenette in front of him. She desperately tried to cover the Ladyblog's author wither hands, but failed.

"I…Hi, Marinette."

Slap. He had mentally slapped himself hard and painful. How smooth of him to get flustered at such a silly almost non-suggesting sentence. What was he doing?

"Ew, get away from Adrikins, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, he is catching the loser vibes from you!" Chloe yelled, with the urge of throwing something at her childhood friend. What business did he have with _her_ anyway?

"Dude, chill, Alya just joked." Adrien felt the DJ's reassuring hand on his shoulder. 'I didn't enter public school to be embarrassed by you people'. Slightly pouted lips and a faint blush on his cheeks made Mrinette's heart flutter beneath her chest.

"Sorry Adrien. I didn't know you were so sensitive about thongs today. Had a rough night?" Alya;s smile changer into a friendly one. Teasing these dorks was such a great sport.

"I had a great night." Agreste muttered, the corner of his upper lip lifting ever so slightly.

"Oh I bet you had." Alya mused, winking. She couldn't help herself, it was too easy!

"Alya!" Marinette whined, wanting to shrink into Tikki's size and hide somewhere. Her friend was in a _very_ happy mood.

But before the theme was pushed further and the joke's restriction has gone to a whole new level, a school bell rang. The lesson had started as soon as Miss Caliene Bustier entered the room, sofly closing the door behind her.

Adrien Agreste couldn't pay attention to anything the teacher said. His mind was busy with thoughts about, _surprisingly_ , the girl sitting behind him. One of the unpleasant news was the fact that stiffness between him and Marinette has skyrocketed, ending any kind of engaged conversation. Another one was how put on spot he felt, by Alya Cessaire's constant teasing and joking him about...well, anything connected to the bluebell-eyed girl he _just happened_ to develop feelings for! If he could argue about the way Adrien felt yesterday, blaming it on the good ol' 'lack of sleep' and 'hard schedule'. That morning he just had a feeling in his gut, that his crush might be more serious than he anticipated. And, _oh wow_ , was he scared!

He didn't have a doubt in his mind about Marinette, being the girl she was, telling her friend all about his silly slip-ups and embarrassing kabedon she pulled on him much to Agreste's surprise.

" _Just wait until I tell Nino, just you wait!_ " The boy nodded, turning it into some kind of race against Nino and Alya.

The lesson seemed to pass very fast.

Adrien bolted up from his seat, turning his head around to catch a glimpse of giggling Marinette. He caught himself thinking about how cute her giggles sounded, making him want to giggle along with her.

It wasn't the first time he caught himself thinking about it. Before the incident with Riposte, Adrien gave his classmate a fencing lesson. He remembered her stumbling over her own words, ending up saying something among the lines of: "I am so crazy about you! I mean, I am so crazy about fencing!" And the series of awkward little laughs that followed. He couldn't help himself, but sharing a giggle or two himself, as the result of a chain reaction.

"Marinette, can I please borrow your notes?" Adrien innocently asked his timid classmate, as soon as he saw her friend walk out into the hall with Nino. He had to use the opportunity to talk to Marinette while it lasted.

She eagerly noted, extending her notebook. But before her crush could reach it, she clumsily dropped the copybook.

"Sorry!" She chirped, kneeling on the floor to pick it up, cursing her wobbliness. Her and Adrien's hand brushed together, as they both reached to grab it at the same time. He gave her a gentle smile and after whispering a quick 'thank you', they stood up, his hand still holding lightly onto hers.

"Y-you are welcome." She mused, trying her hardest to not squeeze the boy's hand back. What was up with him today?

"How about we-

"- Kiss right now, my love?" a lowered female voice was heard behind them. Startled, the teenagers let go of each other, Adrien hugging a notebook from a sudden jump.

Adrien shook his head a little too fast, giving his friend an apologetic look, before continuing. Alya was overreacting too much with her constant teasing. He'd hoped Nino would do something about it. However, he found it amusing in a strange way. This helped him connect with his friends more and feel more like a part of any actual group of friends. His self-conscious was still an issue.

"I was wondering if we could catch a movie or something?" Agreste finished, feeling a boost of confidence.

Marinette's mouth formed an 'o' shape, as she stood there, like a deer in the headlights. Was that a…date?

She got so taken aback, just like the time her plan on asking him out on a date crashed into pieces. All she needed to do was say 'Yes' and score her first date. But she had a hard time gathering her thoughts together.

"I go love," she coughed. "I would love to go, but I can't. I have to finish something?" Marinette sighed, placing a hand on her hot cheek, accepting her fate of failing miserable at communicating with the love of her life. Seriously, how bad did she get it?

"Oh, of course! I understand. Let me know, when you're a free." Adrien patted her shoulder as he always did in a friendly manner.

Well, that was to be expected. A little too pushy, perhaps? What if she thought of it wrong? Or did she want to go with Nino and Alya too? There was no way he would know any of it. But he knew just the right person for finding it out.


	14. Selfish

A/N: If anyone knows why episode 9 wasn't aired, please let me know! I have mentally prepared myself for the promised Marichat balcony scene, but alas.

Anyhow, please enjoy!

* * *

 _"_ _Didn't you see his face? He was so lost but then quickly gathered himself up!"_

"No, I didn't, Alya," Marinette sighed, massaging her temples with her free hand.

She and Alya had been talking on the phone as usual. Topics were different, from fashion to Ladyblog, to Adrien then suddenly to classes, after which the girls were stuck talking about Agreste. As funny as it was, Marinette wanted to dodge her curious friend's questions about the blond boy. She felt as though Alya was exaggerating things a bit too much.

"You will scare him with your teasing!" Dupain-Cheng voiced, as she paced around the room, her kwami flying near in attempt to catch all the information. She didn't even need to watch a TV her holder's school life was way more interesting!

Marinette heard her friend click her tongue.

 _"_ _Oh, you'll thank me later. Plus, I have an important thing to say about your crush."_ The brunette could have sworn, if Alya was near her right now, she would be wiggling her eyebrows.

"What is it?" Marinette sighed. It's not like the new piece of information is going to be mind-blowing or reassuring.

 _"_ _Should I really tell you though?"_ The blogger laughed, hesitating. _"Alright, listen up, girl. Nino said that he noticed Adrien acting a bit weird."_

The baker's daughter stopped walking, as she raised her eyebrow skeptically. "Weird? I haven't noticed anything out of ordinary…"

 _"_ _Well, besides him asking me to watch a movie together."_ Marinette thought. But she then digressed, thinking he was about to ask their mutual friends as well. And yet she was reminded of her awkward rejection of her love's invitation. When will she pull herself together? Adrien makes an attempt to get closer, yet she still cowardly steps away from him. What gives?

 _"Fair enough,"_ Cessaire's voice was heard. _"But to me it felt like he was acting happy, well, happier than usual."_

"I won't be surprised if it was none other than _Kagami._ " Marinette put such an emphasis on the girl's name, she almost felt sick. It won't be too surprising, who knows if Adrien and she are texting each other. No-no, stop it. Don't let that thought cross your mind.

Alya, however, laughed.

 _"_ _I have a tiny feeling you might be the reason."_ She mused, while Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Yeah right, he probably asked me out for movies because he felt like he needed to thank me or something." Marinette shrugged, running a hand through her hair, as a sigh escaped her lips. She was getting tired of talking about it all day. She preferred to let it go and see what happens tomorrow.

 _"_ _Think whatever you want to, girl. But don't be surprised, when that will be the truth."_ Her best friend whispered.

"Got it." She replied with a small smile, before ending the call.

Exhausted, she laid on her bed with Tikki hovering above her.

"Why don't you want to believe her, Marinette?" The red kwami asked, tilting her head sideways.

"I do want to," the bluenette confessed. "But I don't want to get my hopes up, you know? If he ends up with Kagami and- I just don't want to be delusional." The teenager glanced at the little creature. It was cute, how Tikki was so concerned about Marinette and Adrien's relation- _friendship._ What they have now is a simple friendship.

They could probably talk about it for hours more, if it wasn't for the startling knock on her window. Marinette hesitated, before standing up. She already knew who it was, although that cat has got to earn some manners! Her mind traced back to Adrien, who would _never_ visit a girl so late in the evening. She wouldn't have minded though, if only it was him and not Chat Noir. Oh, the irony!

Opening up her window, Marinette stepped back a little bit. Chat Noir in all his grace jumped into her room without making a sound.

"Good evening, princess." He purred, his grin looking more silly than suave. His gaze seemed warmer as usual.

"Hey, kitty," Marinette smiled slightly, closing the window. "Sorry, but I haven't seen Ladybug." She assumed it was the case, since the face expression the hero of Paris was giving her was one she always seen as Ladybug.

To her surprise, he shook his head 'no'. Why must Marinette always search for a reason? And what does Ladybug has to do with his visits? Couldn't he just come and visit her, because he _wanted_ to?

Adrien gulped. Maybe Chat didn't, but Agreste did. And seeing his crush after school, in the comfort of her own home felt much different.

"I came to see _you_ , Marinette." Chat almost let a purr escape his throat, but, thankfully, he managed to keep himself together.

She looked confused for a moment, but then decided to play along, never knowing for sure where will the conversation lead.

"Oh, I am so thrilled!" Dupain-Chenng said jokingly. "Look, I am busy."

"Oh? You have some unfinished design you are working on?" Noir eagerly asked, attempting to look at her desk. He saw her sketchbook opened, and he wanted to know what was drawn there. Was that why his classmate rejected his invitation? Maybe she was participating in a designing contest of some sort?

However, Marinette extended her hands, placing them on Chat's strong shoulders in attempt to keep him in the same place. The kwami holder wanted to stop him, because what she had sketched out earlier that day was Adrien's face. It was the one she couldn't get out of her head the face expression Adrien showed her when he gave her umbrella; that very same moment when she fell head over heels. Marinette was embarrassed, as she thought the boy in cat costume would tease her, just like Alya or Nino. She didn't want to deal with another curious cat!

The pleasing look and the blush on her cheeks made Chat Noir's heart skip a beat as he stopped in his tracks. What could there be? Marinette usually showed her new designs with no problem.

"I know _curiosity killed the cat_ and all, but..." The boy initiated an intense eye contact. "Can I see it?" She must have had a good reason to say no to him that afternoon! He was still a bit salty about it, transforming into Chat made things even worse.

"Well…" Marinette looked over her shoulder at the sketchbook. "Please don't laugh." She added with full seriousness. "And don't tell."

"I won't." He put a hand to his heart, wagging his tail like a kitten from excitement. "Although I don't understand the second part."

Marinette sighed, taking the notebook in her shaking hands. After giving it a look of approval, she simply extended her hands, avoiding Chat's bright green eyes.

He gently took the sketchbook, staying a bit too silent at first. He took the drawing in, his eyes widening and a deep blush creeping onto his cheeks.

A portrait of him?! Well, Adrien, to be fair. He stood there dumbfounded. Her drawing was amazing it looked like a black and white photography. Even the smallest details of his face and every single strand of hair were represented with 100% accuracy. He unwillingly covered his cheeks with his right hand to hide his embarrassment. Chat wanted that picture printed and put on his wall. He wanted to embrace the author of the drawing, pull her closer and thank her. Adrien never knew he was such an inspiration to her, let alone thinking about Marinette drawing him. He felt tears forming in the brim of his eyes.

"It's beautiful." He felt his throat dry, hence why Chat whispered. He looked up at her, as she smiled, letting a feeling of relief wash over her. "You should show it to him." Noir replied, before handing the drawing back to 'princess'. "I mean it."

She giggled, sighing. "I would love to, but he would think I'm weird or a stalker. I doubt he'd accept it." Marinette brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, feeling Chat's attentive gaze almost burning her.

"Nonsense!" Chat Noir exclaimed, bringing a hand to close his mouth.  
"What makes you think that?" He couldn't bear how conscious Marinette acted when talking about Adrien. Did she really think he was spoiled or something?

"W-well…" She stepped back, not sure of what to say. What are you supposed to say in situations like this?

"It's not that much and besides, isn't it weird?"

Chat Noir huffed, unable to contain his frustration. "Wouldn't you feel flattered if he showed you an amazing drawing of you?"

"But it would be different," Marinette defended herself. "You see, I would have loved that but Adrien…How do I put it…I don't know what he will think." What if he would really find it strange and too forward?

"Oh, so you want to know what _he_ will think, huh?" Chat asked, his voice growing louder with each second.

She didn't panick. If he can talk loud, so can she! Who does he think he is anyways? That girl was ready to have a full debate.

"Yes, yes I do!" Marinette fired back.

Chat Noir unexpectedly pulled her into a strong hug, earning a surprised squeak from Marinette. He pulled her too close, in fact. She stayed just still.

"He will pull you close just like that," the hero whispered gently, almost soothingly. "But what he will do next is unclear. You know, manners are manners, but he can't stay unselfish forever, in these situations especially." Noir breathed out, closing his eyes. He could be too forward, however, what needed to be said, had to be said. Adrien had to get that out of his system and maybe get his hint. Plagg would say he was too impatient. Chat would admit it himself, he was. He needed Marinette. Too bad he didn't know how tired _she_ was of waiting for Adrien Agreste to come around.

He felt her small hands grasp his back. Thus resulted in a very smug grin.

"My, if you'd like me, just ask." The feline hero gently pulled away, winking at the flustered girl beside him. She looked at him with her eyes wide and mouth a gape.

Chat Noir closed her mouth, as he slowly closed her opened mouth with his hand.

"Well, it's time for me to head _meowt_. Sweet dreams, princess." With that, the cat disappeared into the night.

Sweet dreams, indeed.


End file.
